'Caps women win Keg Spring Cup

March 30, 2008

Vancouver Whitecaps FC Women's Development squad claimed the 2008 Keg Spring Cup title with a 2-0 final win over hosts University of Victoria Vikes on Sunday.

Jesse Symons' side took advantage of two early UVic mistakes to take the weekend tournament championship at Centennial Stadium on Vancouver Island.

It only took the Whitecaps three minutes to score the game winner, as Vikes goalkeeper Rachel Gavin allowed a long ball to slip through her legs and into the empty net. Tracy David's the gifted the Whitecaps a second goal four minutes later, as a poor UVic clearance found its way into the Vikes net for an own-goal.

Whitecaps goalkeeper Sian Bagshawe made 11 saves for the clean sheet on Sunday, including a late second-half breakaway by Vikes striker Kendra Flock.

Whitecaps forward Amelie Mercier claimed the final's Most Valuable Player award against the team she helped to a 2005 Canadian Interuniversity Sport national championship title.

On Saturday, the Whitecaps reached the final with a 2-1 win over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. Chelsea Buckland's ambitious long-range strike with less than a quarter of an hour remaining saw Symons' side overcome the 2007 Canada West women's soccer champions.

Rosalyn Hicks gave the Whitecaps the lead on 56 minutes after converting a free kick in the UBC box before the Thunderbirds drew level seven minutes later through striker Janine Kerr. After Buckland scored the game winner, a fine diving save from Stephanie Panozzo was needed to secure Saturday's win, with Whitecaps midfielder Katie Thorlakson earning the game's MVP honours.

In Sunday's consolation final, UBC and Trinity Western University Spartans played to a 1-1 draw.

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