Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
KELOWNA, B.C. – Rookie Sunder West broke a program record with four points and fifth-year veteran Suekiana Choucair ended with a five-point weekend as the MacEwan Griffins smoked the UBC-Okanagan Heat 5-0 on Saturday night.
All of their goals came in the first 35 minutes as MacEwan teed off on their second-straight opponent, leaving the Okanagan with nine goals in two games after blanking Thompson Rivers University 4-0 on Friday.
"For us, it's about playing 90 minutes and that's what's exciting," said head coach Dean Cordeiro."It was nice to see the back of the net get filled, especially on the road because it's always harder."
MacEwan improves to 3-0-1 with the result, while UBCO falls to 0-4-0.
West, who had a game-high nine shots in Friday's win over TRU without seeing her name on the scoresheet, finally broke through with a big game for the Griffins. The golden boot winner from the 2019 Alberta Major Soccer League season showed off her prodigious finishing talent with two goals and two assists, while putting six shots on net.
"Sunder was arguably our most influential player yesterday, yet she was left off the scoresheet," said Cordeiro. " Honestly, today she almost scored a hat trick and we were hoping she'd get it. There were a couple times that showed how unselfish she is. She got balls in prime real estate where she'd normally be shooting and she's trying to supply the ball to her teammates.
"She's just a complete player, who can finish. What is extremely impactful on her end is her ability to make that final pass. It was on full display today."
West opened the scoring just 2:24 into the contest, curling in a left-footed blast from the top of the box off a pass from Anna McPhee.
Choucair made it 2-0 Griffins in the 22nd minute curling in a strike from the top of the box after Meagan Lemoine beat three defenders and dished off a pass.
In the 23rd minute, it was Lemoine's turn to find the twine as West slipped a pass between two defenders to send her in alone and the veteran striker made no mistake.
Kaylin Hermanutz put the Griffins up 4-0 in the 27th after running onto a pass by West that went past the Heat back line.
West put the capper on an inspired effort with her second goal of the game in the 35th off a pass from Choucair.
"The goal of the match," said Cordeiro. "She just volleyed the touch on goal – got in front of the defender and beat the keeper to the ball. Perfectly placed little flick into the gaping goal. It was very difficult on her end and just once again showing her quality as a player and finisher around goal. It was a hell of a finish."
Lost in the goal-scoring party was the fact the Griffins posted their fourth-straight clean sheet of the season. Emily Burns made six saves to run her shutout streak to 360 minutes – the second-longest in MacEwan's Canada West history.
"Em's been rock solid," said Cordeiro. "I've been proud of the group. That's our fourth-consecutive clean sheet of the year. That's the way we play.
"When the match was three or four-nil, she came up big – the difficulty of a cross-body shot that the UBCO Heat player had. Emily made it look pretty routine, but it was a well-placed shot that they had."
The Griffins return home next weekend to host UFV on Saturday (12 p.m., Commonwealth Stadium) and Trinity Western on Sunday (12 p.m., Clarke Stadium). UBCO visits Winnipeg and Manitoba on Friday and Saturday.
