Three goals in a five-minute span in the second half have the Trinity Western Spartans one game from history.
The Spartans women’s soccer team took advantage of having the wind at their backs for the final 45 minutes, breaking open a scoreless game against the Ottawa Gee-Gees in the CIS national championship semifinal on Friday.
The game was played at Laval University’s Telus Stadium in Quebec City and advances Trinity Western to the national championship game on Sunday.
They will play either the host Laval squad or their Canada West rivals, the Fraser Valley Cascades.
The Spartans are looking to become the first women’s soccer team to ever win the Gladys Bean Memorial Trophy for a third consecutive season. They would also win the national championship for a sixth time in school history, which would be a new record. Currently, Trinity Western and UBC have each won the trophy five times.
Ottawa was ranked No. 1 in the country heading into nationals while the Spartans were No. 2.
The Gee-Gees had won 19 consecutive games — including playoffs — since losing their regular season opener back in late August.
After neither team scored in the opening half — with Ottawa ringing one shot off the crossbar in the 38th minute — the teams switched sides for the second half and the Spartans took over.
Krista Gommeringer scored in the 59th minute off a set-up from Seina Kashima.
Jenna Di Nunzio doubled the lead in the 63rd minute and Gommeringer added her second in the 64th minute off a set-up from Jessica King.
Gommeringer had a goal and two assists in Trinity Western’s 4-1 quarter-final victory the day before.
Spartans goalkeeper Christina Oliverio came up with four saves for the clean sheet.
The gold medal game will be played on Sunday at 11 a.m. PST.
