7 Up: Mariners Score 7 Over Two Shutout Road Wins

BURNABY / COQUITLAM - The Mariners have emerged as a conference force after two solid road wins over the Langara Falcons and Douglas Royals.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17: VIU 3 - Langara 0
Swangard Stadium
BOX SCORE

An early ferry ride to the Lower Mainland didn't slow the Mariners down as they kept a tight lid on the Falcons en route to a 3-0 victory.

The Falcons didn't register a shot towards goal in the first half and only directed two towards the net in the second, with only one testing goalkeeper Kaiden Thorpe in her PACWEST debut.

The Mariners, on the other hand, launched 15 shots towards the Falcons net with nine on target. Courtney Ingram and Olivia Mazurenko tied with the team high of three shots on goal each and teamed up for the first VIU goal in the 27th minute, as Mazurenko set up Ingram down the right wing for her first goal of the year.

A spinning re-direction right in front of net from Taylor Kinley five minutes later upped the VIU advantage to 2-0. In the 78th minute, Jade Dillabough raced between two surprised Falcons defenders and onto a looping through ball. She tapped the ball by the Falcons keeper for her second goal of the campaign as Thorpe and the Mariners held the Falcons off the scoresheet the rest of the way for the shutout win.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18: VIU 4 - Douglas 0
Cunnings Field
No box score online at press time

VIU launched an all-out attack at the host Royals in a dominating opening half, scoring four goals in the opening 37 minutes and cruising to a 4-0 win.

This was the first time Douglas had allowed four goals or more in a regular season game since a 5-5 tie with VIU on September 10, 2016, and the first time Douglas had allowed four goals in a loss since the 2012-13 season.

PACWEST goal scoring leader Shea Battie increased her lead at the top of the table by scoring the first two goals of the game--and her fourth and fifth goals of the season--in the 7th and 19th minutes. The first came after winger Jade Dillabough sent a pass to Battie in the middle of the pitch. Battie cut back and muscled a shot through two Royals defenders and the keeper. 

The second was set up by Mazurenko, who sent Battie in cold down the middle of the field with a sublime through-ball. Battie finished with clinical precision with a low shot to the bottom right corner.

In the 23rd minute, Courtney Ingram scored her second goal in as many games with a rocket of a shot from just beyond the penalty arc that deflected in off of the hands of outstretched goalkeeper.

Second-year defender Cassandra Hartwich finished the scoring in the 37th minute with her first goal in a Mariners uniform. Hartwich corralled an attempted clear after a corner kick, slipped past two defenders, and fired the ball into the left corner.

VIU held Douglas to only two shots on goal in the second half to close out the victory. Melanie Osborne earned the win in the Mariners net as VIU improved its conference-leading record to 3-0-1. 

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

With three assists and a hand in VIU's smothering team defence, midfielder Olivia Mazurenko was named VIU women's soccer Athlete of the Week. Head Coach Bobbie Taylor noted that Mazurenko "was truly a game changer in both days."

UP NEXT

Another early ferry trip greets the Mariners next weekend as they head back to the Lower Mainland for two more road games.

Saturday, September 24 - VIU (3-0-1) vs Langara (0-3-1)
Burnaby Lake Sports Complex West - 11 a.m.

Sunday, September 25 - VIU vs Capilano (1-2-1)
Mulgrave School - 1:30 p.m.

For more information, please contact Matt Carter, VIU Mariners Communications & Sports Information Coordinator.