Trinity Western’s Brayden Gant scored the afternoon’s lone goal as the Spartans men’s soccer team edged Seattle Pacific 1-0 at Rogers Field on April 6.
Gant scored in the 10th minute when he found the back of the net from inside 10 yards to give TWU all it would need to earn the win.
While the Falcons, who were playing in their first game of their spring schedule, had their fair share of opportunities, they were unable to hit the target on several occasions and were halted on a number of close offside calls.
The Spartans are now 3-2-1 in six spring games with one game remaining.
“I thought we had moments where we were quite good and I think we seized some quality moments and showed some good play,” said Spartans coach Pat Rohla.
“I was a little disappointed we didn’t see more of that, but with the injuries that we have, I think we acquitted ourselves okay. For the spring, it was a good game for learning purposes.”
The Falcons carried the play early on in the first half but it was the Spartans getting on the board first when Gant talled.
After Kalem Scott put the ball through the box from the right flank, it fell to the feet of Denny Serifovic who made a quick pass into the middle of the box to Gant, who converted from eight yards out past SPU goalie Cody Lang.
The pace of play swung back and forth for much of the rest of the half.
The Spartans nearly doubled their lead in the 37th minute when Nate Turner fired a low shot from just inside the box that thumped off the left post.
Seattle Pacific’s best chance of the first half came in the 41st minute when Blaine Carver raced in off the right wing and whipped a shot in on goal, but TWU goalie Andrew Hicks was in good position to corral the attempt.
The Falcons got the best crack on goal early in the second half when, in the 53rd minute, Matt Merchant ripped a shot from 20 yards out that scraped over the cross bar on the left side.
Seattle Pacific had a brilliant chance to tie the contest in the 85th minute when a dangerous free kick was sent into the Spartans box. However, despite three SPU attackers in the vicinity, the ball eluded all three and harmlessly rolled out for a goal kick.
