Spartans complete weekend sweep to stake Pacific Division lead

Langley’s Trinity Western Spartans are sitting atop the Canada West Pacific Division men’s soccer table as B.C. teams opened conference play over the weekend.

Elijah Adekugbe scored both of his team’s goals Saturday as the Spartans beat the UNBC Timberwolves 2-0 to sweep a two-game set from their Prince George hosts in head coach Mike Shearon’s regular season debut with TWU. TWU was a 2-1 winner on Friday. The UBC Thunderbirds (1-10) are locked in a three-way tie for second place with both the Thompson Rivers WolfPack of Kamloops and Kelowna’s UBC Okanagan Heat after their weekend road swing.

The Birds, national bronze medallists a season ago, got a 58th-minute strike from Province 2015 Head of the Class honouree Kerman Pannu Sunday to salvage a 1-1 tie with the Heat. UBC rallied Saturday to beat the WolfPack 2-1.

The Victoria Vikes opened their campaign in atypical fashion, falling to 0-2 after going winless through the Okanagan. The Vikes lost 1-0 Saturday to the Heat and were trounced 4-0 Sunday against the WolfPack.