BURNABY, BC
– Whitecaps FC 2 (WFC2) continued their preseason preparations on Thursday with a 5-1 victory over Simon Fraser University at the school’s Terry Fox Field. Canadian striker
Mackenzie Pridham
led the way with four goals, while centre back
Craig Nitti
added the fifth.
It was a reunion of sorts for WFC2 head coach
Alan Koch
as he spent seven highly successful seasons coaching the SFU Clan. And it was his former team who got on the scoreboard first in the 17th minute when a free kick into the box ended up on the foot of a Clan player, who promptly slotted it in for a 1-0 lead to the home side.
Koch’s side found their way into the match soon after, and on 30 minutes it was 1-1 as a cross from right back
Chris Serban
was headed well by Pridham, hitting the post and beating the goalkeeper to level the match.
Three minutes later, Sahil Sandhu was in on goal, but the SFU goalkeeper made the save to keep things tied. That was until the 44th minute, when Pridham gave WFC2 the lead moments before halftime. The 2014 MLS SuperDraft pick found the ball at his feet from eight yards out and calmly placed a shot into the far corner for a 2-1 advantage.
Despite the lead, Koch wasn’t entirely pleased with the first half performance from his team and made clear that he was looking for improvement when they retook the field.
With their coach’s words fresh in their minds, WFC2 took the lead three minutes into the second half. A shot outside the box from midfielder Alex Marrello struck the post, but Pridham was quick to pounce on the rebound to attain his hat-trick.
That wouldn’t be it for the former Cal Poly striker though. Four minutes later he scored perhaps his best goal of the day, beating a defender in the box before firing a rocket inside the far post for a 4-1 lead.
With four minutes to go, the ‘Caps scored one final goal. Midfielder
Ben McKendry
hit a ball to the far post, and with the goalkeeper unable to control it, Nitti was there to head it in for a 5-1 final score.
"We challenged the guys at halftime," said Koch after the match. "The first half wasn't good enough. But the second half response was much, much better. We're definitely progressing. Preseason is about getting comfortable with each other and learning how you're expected to play. We're looking for a solid 90 minute performance in our last preseason match to lead us into the season with a lot of confidence."
WFC2 play their final preseason match this coming Sunday, 10 a.m. PT at SFU Fox Field against Oregon State University. One week later they kick off their inaugural USL season on the road against Seattle Sounders FC 2 on Sunday, March 29.
Come and see the next generation of Whitecaps FC stars as USL arrives in Vancouver. With Season Tickets available for as low as $118, WFC2 matches will be a unique and affordable experience for fans, families, students, and supporters. Flex packs are also available to fit your schedule - get seven tickets to use any way you want, to any matches you want. For
more information on all WFC2 ticket options
, call 604-484-7862 or e-mail
wfc2@whitecapsfc.com
.
Scoring summary
17’ – SFU
30’ – VAN – Mackenzie Pridham (Chris Serban)
44’ – VAN – Mackenzie Pridham
48’ – VAN – Mackenzie Pridham
52’ – VAN – Mackenzie Pridham
85’ – VAN – Craig Nitti
Whitecaps FC 2
Marco Carducci; Chris Serban, Jackson Farmer, Craig Nitti, Jordan Haynes; Alex Marrello, Mitch Piraux (Ben McKendry 45’); Sahil Sandhu (Victor Blasco 72’), Brett Levis (Tyler Rosenlund 45’), Jovan Blagojevic; Mackenzie Pridham (Caleb Clarke 72’)
