Match Report:

By Simon Fudge/whitecapsfc.com

Vancouver Whitecaps women recorded their second win of the season after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Fort Collins Force in Colorado on Friday evening.

Jonelle Filigno's second goal of the season just before halftime was enough to not only maintain the Whitecaps unbeaten run in the current W-League Western Conference season, it kept Vancouver's unbeaten streak away to Fort Collins going, with the club taking its all-time record of results in Larimer County to seven wins and a draw.

Following Wednesday's 1-1 draw with Real Colorado Cougars in Denver, Whitecaps head coach Bob Birarda made five changes to his starting XI for Fort Collins' season opener at Loveland Sports Park. Erin McNulty returned to action in goal for Justine Bernier, while Shannon Woeller replaced Allysha Chapman in the defensive backline. Sophie Schmidt made her first start since re-signing for the club this week, as she was joined in midfield by youngsters Filigno and Monica Lam-Feist.

On a warm evening for soccer in Loveland, Colorado, it was the Whitecaps that had control of the contest throughout most of the first half, though both sides struggled to create any chances of note on the artificial turf surface.

The decisive moment of the match came on 44 minutes, as the Whitecaps struck the game's only goal from a set-piece. Tiffeny Milbrett's corner to the far post found the head of Canadian international defender Emily Zurrer. The Duncan, BC, native headed the ball back across the Fort Collins goal, where Filigno was on hand to knock it home for a 1-0 halftime lead.

It was great way to enter the break for the visitors, but Force head coach Craig Deacon must have said the right things to his players before the restart, as Fort Collins dominated the early proceedings of the second half.

Where Filigno made the difference in the opening 45 minutes, it was Whitecaps goalkeeper McNulty that equally proved to be a game-winner for Birarda's side, as she made four important saves in the space of 12 second-half minutes to preserve a first clean sheet of the year for the visitors.

One of her most pivotal stops came on 69 minutes, as the Florida State University star got down to her left-hand side to stop a low drive from finding its way into the back of her goal. Three minutes later, Fort Collins put a chance wide of the target before McNulty was called on again to stop a point-blank shot from the home side.

On 81 minutes, the Winnipeg, Manitoba, native was forced to tip over a fine Fort Collins strike from 20 yards out, as the Force put the Whitecaps on their back foot in the dying stages.

Having worked ever so hard in the altitude and warm conditions on Friday, Birarda used the final quarter hour of the game to introduce Kaylyn Kyle, Selenia Iacchelli, Jodi-Ann Robinson, and Sanna Talonen to the contest, with the Whitecaps changing to a 4-4-2 formation for the final eight minutes of the game.


Despite their best efforts, Fort Collins' pursuit of a first-ever home win over the Whitecaps ended in disappointment, as Vancouver momentarily leapfrogged expansion club Pali Blues and into first place in the Western Conference standings. Pali Blues can regain top spot when they host southern California rivals Ventura County Fusion on Saturday night.

After completing a second league game in three days in Colorado, Birarda was delighted to claim a positive return from the side's first road trip of the year. "We are really pleased to be leaving here still undefeated and to keep a clean sheet for the first time this season," he told whitecapsfc.com. "That was really important, as it was so competitive here tonight. We will certainly look back at that game on Wednesday and wished we had found a way to find a winning goal, but sometimes it doesn't play out like that."

The Whitecaps will now return home and prepare for the visit of Pacific Northwest rivals Seattle Sounders to Swangard Stadium on Saturday, June 7. Fort Collins, meanwhile, will quickly turn their attentions to local rivals Real Colorado when they visit the Cougars in Denver on Sunday.

Scoring Summary:
44' – 1-0 VAN - Jonelle Filigno (Emily Zurrer)
Tiffeny Milbrett's corner to the far post found the head of Emily Zurrer. The Whitecaps defender headed the ball back across the Fort Collins goal, where Filigno was on hand to knock it home for the game winner.

Match Stats:
Shots: Vancouver 6 – Fort Collins 11
Saves: Vancouver 6 – Fort Collins 2
Fouls: Vancouver 7 – Fort Collins 6
Offsides: Vancouver 1 – Fort Collins 2
Corners: Vancouver 3 – Fort Collins 3

Vancouver Whitecaps FC
1.Erin McNulty; 2.Emily Zurrer 3.Shannon Woeller, 4.Lexi Marton, 6.Myriam Bouchard; 13.Chelsea Stewart (11.Selenia Iacchelli 80'), 15.Jonelle Filigno (22.Jodi-Ann Robinson 89'), 16. Sophie Schmidt, 18.Monica Lam-Feist (8.Kaylyn Kyle 73'); 9.Julie Armstrong (14.Sanna Talonen 88'), 25.Tiffeny Milbrett

Subs not used: 26.Justine Bernier, 28.Taryne Boudreau, 29.Allysha Chapman

Fort Collins Force
0.Kara Linder; 5.Maureen Smunt, 17.Nikki Marshall, 19.Carly Peetz, 22.Sally Cole; 9.Cayla Deacon (13.Alex Cousins 77'), 10.Sarah Campbell, 12.Lisa Kosena, 16.Emmalie Pfankuch; 3.Katie Eriksson, 4.Jenni Annicchiarico

Subs not used: 1.Sarah Prendergast, 2.Jenny Kehl, 7.Nicky Smith, 11.Sarah Aspinwall, 14.Maggie Doe, 18.Katie Sturges