VICTORIA, B.C. – Currently on a two-week tour to England to challenge several FA Women's Super League sides, the University of Victoria Vikes women's soccer team played their first match against the Doncaster Rovers Belles and dropped the result 4-0.
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Comprised of eight teams, the FA WSL is the top women's league in the U.K. and every year attracts a large number of international-caliber players from all over the world.
Liz Hansen, a Vike alum with an illustrious varsity career that included winning the women's soccer program's only CIS title, is also a former Doncaster Belle.
The Vikes gave the Doncaster women a run for their money, matching the pace and intensity of the WSL team. Fifth-year
Nathalie Scharf (Salmon Arm, BC) set the tone for the Vikes when she took an early game shot that just narrowly missed the net as it bounced off the crossbar and was cleared by the Belles' defense.
In the 28
th minute a goal from the Doncaster side broke the 0-0 stalemate to put the Belles up by one. Shortly after, another narrow miss for the UVic women came from
Jaclyn Sawicki (Coquitlam, BC) as a solo effort resulted in a shot deflected high by Vikes' keeper
Tanya Jones (Sidney, BC), filling in for the injured Belles' backstop.
Although not lacking in opportunity, the Vikes were down by three going into halftime. In the final 45 the Belles put another one away to earn the shutout and make it a final score of 4-0.
Next up for the Vikes is a game in Liverpool, Jan. 14, against Everton at 7:00 p.m. GMT. For photos and videos as well as more information on the Vikes' trip to England, please visit
www.govikesgo.com/WSOCtour.
