PRINCE GEORGE – The year started off well atop University Hill when it came to the UNBC Timberwolves and their respective sports teams.
However, as we stand in December, not a single competitive game has been played by either of its four teams.
“It was a very odd transition at the end of the year. We were unable to do our athletic banquet so there was no closure for our fifth-year athletes,” explained Loralyn Murdoch, the Director of Athletics and Recreation at UNBC. “The early cancellation of soccer and now we’re nine months into a pandemic where there’s no final year played for our fifth-year student-athletes. It’s just really different. I think the teams are coping really well; they’re very close.”
In the early-goings of 2020, the athletic scene at UNBC was thriving: the women’s basketball team made a storybook run into the playoffs, having a nine-game winning streak despite rostering just six healthy players before losing to Calgary in the Canada West playoffs. Women’s soccer had their third consecutive playoff berth, but strange to think that was well over a year ago.
As Western Canada continues to work through the ongoing impact of COVID-19, USport made the decision back in June that there would be no conference competition this fall. In October, USports announced it cannot offer the 2021 winter national championships due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite the pandemic, UNBC Athletics was fortunate to be able to have one of the last large-scale events in its Legacy Breakfast prior to COVID made its widespread impact. The breakfast played an important role in providing the department with the necessary funding to support its athletes.
But now, it’s a waiting game for UNBC and all of the other schools under the USports banner as they try to do what they can to continue to support their student-athletes.
