Five Alive

NANAIMO - It was perfect poetry at the pitch as VIU women's soccer scored five goals on the Capilano Blues to earn their fifth win of the season. 

Midfielder Mary Huggill gave the home fans something to cheer about early on in the first PACWEST game at Harewood Centennial Park. Pressure on a Capilano defender just outside of the 18-yard box caused the ball to roll free, and Huggill ran onto it and uncorked a hard left-footed shot into the net in the second minute of play.

Forward Brianna Narduzzi scored two first-half goals for VIU as the Mariners padded their league. She deflected a low Jade Dillabough cross into the net in the eighth minute and poked the ball across the line in the 37th minute after a Jada Kamerman cross pinballed off a group of players rushing to the net. 

Mary Huggill (middle) opened the scoring for VIU in the second minute of play. Photo: Matt Carter

The Mariners added two goals in the second half. Fifteen minutes into the frame, Emma Thornton ran onto a perfectly-placed high through ball from Mary Nicholls and pushed the ball around the Capilano goalkeeper before depositing it into the net. With fewer than ten minutes remaining, forward Maggie Thurbide ran onto a wayward pass from the Capilano goalkeeper and made a quick move past a defender before sending a shot into the left side of the net.

VIU goalkeeper Kaiden Thorpe made two saves to earn the win and her third shutout in three games. Narduzzi, thanks to her two goals, was named VIU's Country Club Dairy Queen Player of the Game.