With three assists, Trinity Western’s Seina Kashima set the Canada West single-season assists record in Saturday’s 7-0 win over Mount Royal at Chase Office Field.
Kashima, who already holds the conference record for most career assists (40), passed Calgary alums Tessa Miller (2013) and Jordan Smith (2016), who each had 11-assist seasons.
Kashima set the record with her second assist of the night on a goal from Gabi Short in the 69th minute.
Kashima “is always a threat and has really found the right passes at the right times,” said TWU Head Coach Graham Roxburgh.
“She has also been rewarded on her distribution of set pieces. She’s a special player with special talent and good teams need those special pieces.”
The Spartans (11-1-0) scored two first half goals before scoring five more in the second half to earn their seventh straight win.
Cougars goalie Rose Hemans was kept busy throughout the night, facing 15 shots and making eight saves for MRU (5-5-2). TWU goalie Rachel Sydor didn’t face a shot in earning a clean sheet.
Amy Gartke had two goals for TWU, while Kathryn Harvey, Jenaya Robertson, Rachel Hutchinson, Gabi Short and Danae Derksen also scored.
The Spartans opened the scoring in the 25th minute, when a shot from Derksen was blocked and Harvey pounced on the loose ball in the box and slotted it home from in tight.
TWU extended its lead in the 38th minute when Gartke took a cross from Derksen, off the right wing, and knocked it into the back of the net from eight yards out.
The Spartans finished the opening half with an 11-0 edge in shots and a 6-0 advantage in shots on goal.
Robertson put the Spartans up 3-0 in the 55th minute when he headed home a well-struck corner from Kashima. The assist tied the conference record.
Eight minutes later Hutchinson put TWU up 4-0 with her fifth goal of the season.
In the 69th minute, Kashima set the record when her shot was initially stopped by Hemans, before Short put away the rebound.
Gartke and Derksen rounded out the scoring in the 69th and 78th minutes.
“I thought we buried our chances and we managed to score on a few half chances,” said Roxburgh.
“We moved the ball well and we looked hungry in the box tonight. I thought we started a bit tentatively and Mount Royal is getting better and better and they have some good players, but in the end I thought we showed some real determination and desire.As a team, I thought we played some really intelligent soccer.
The last time the Spartans and Cougars met was Oct. 3, 2015 in Calgary, with TWU winning 5-0.
TWU finishes its regular season on the road when the Spartans travel to play UBC Oct. 19 and Victoria.
