UNBC men’s soccer team falls short in Victoria

In the second half, Victoria continued to apply pressure, highlighted by a Grade-A opportunity for Remi Barbot, but the young TWolves held up and kept it a one goal deficit.

However, the Vikes earned another penalty kick when a Victoria player went down in the box off a harmless looking corner kick, but the referee deemed it enough to award the home side a PK. Sagaste again stepped to the spot and beat Zadravec with a low shot to double the lead.

The young Timberwolves would look to push back, but the hole was too deep to dig out of as they’d eventually run out of time, falling 2-0.

11 of the 15 TWolves that saw the pitch were first-year players, as Steve Simonson continues to try to balance the present and future of the program as UNBC still finds itself firmly in the Canada West playoff picture with the season winding down.

The two teams will clash again on Saturday night in Victoria.

As for UNBC’s women’s team, a Victoria goal in the 86^th minute broke a scoreless tie and gave the Vikes a 1-0 lead they’d hold onto, topping the University of Northern British Columbia Timberwolves on Friday.

It was the Vikes coming out pressing the action, as both Ruby Nicholas and Erin Jensen had decent looks in the TWolves’ third in the opening 15 minutes, but goalkeeper Brityn Hinsche did well to keep the sheet clean.

Coming off a strong performance against the MacEwan Griffins, the Timberwolves moved the ball well and showed great growth from the beginning of the season. Celeste Kirkness and Camryn Cline’s speed proved to be valuable, as Neil Sedgwick’s side moved the ball effectively up the wing into some moderately threatening areas of the pitch.

In the 32^nd minute, after some sustained Victoria pressure, it was the TWolves who nearly opened the scoring. Striker Sidney Elliott gathered the ball and winded her way to the top of the box, testing Vikes keeper Kayley Lidstone. The Victoria netminder would have the ball sneak under her and trickle towards the line, recovering just in time to keep it scoreless.

In the 40^th minute, it was Nicholas, who grew up training with UNBC coach Neil Sedgwick, who had a glorious chance to break the goose egg. The second-year knocked a bouncing ball down and found herself all alone with Hinsche, but the Williams Lake keeper slid out to make the tremendous stop.

A late flurry by the Vikes came up empty and the half ended nil-nil, and Victoria holding a 4-1 advantage in shots on goal.

The home Vikes continued to apply pressure to the bend-but-don’t-break TWolves, but the UNBC backline battled for every inch against talented attackers like Emma Skalik and Taiya Scorey.

In the 86^th minute, after a valiant defensive effort, disaster struck for the Timberwolves. Attempting to play a bouncing ball out of harm’s way, the clearing attempt hit an oncoming Vikes in the midsection and bounced right to Brianne McLeish, who poked it past a sprawling Hinsche to make it 1-0 late in the match.

In the 93^rd minute, Claire Turner stepped up to a free kick and hammered it on net. Lidstone caught the ball, but appeared to keep it out of net in a razor-thin measurement. The TWolves put their hands up to say the ball had crossed the line, but the official ruled to play on, and blew the final whistle seconds later.

Hinsche made six saves in the defeat for a Timberwolves team that will now hop on a plane and head for a Sunday matchup with the Mount Royal Cougars.

by CKPG Today

UNBC men’s soccer team falls short in Victoria

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