A Saturday night slobber knocker came down to a few close shaves for the UNBC Timberwolves men’s soccer team.
A trio of prime scoring chances during the dying minutes saw the T-Wolves come within an eyelash of claiming their first victory of the Canada West season during a 1-1 tie against the UBC Okanagan Heat on Saturday from Masich Place Stadium.
A moment Luke Graham will NEVER forget! pic.twitter.com/R7WanJbwwR
— UNBC Timberwolves (@UNBCATHLETICS) September 8, 2024
A free kick from Hagon Kim from 50 yards away was re-directed by Pipeijn van der Ende that came right to the mitts of Heat goalkeeper Ronan Woodroofe.
On a subsequent corner kick, a shot attempt by Connor Lewis rung off the crossbar and was put back in play leading to a bicycle kick from rookie Mehdi Bounaaja, which was stopped by Woodroofe as time expired.
UBC Okanagan opened the scoring at the 56th minute as Spencer Mellett cashed in on a rebound past UNBC netminder Logan Pierce was down and out on the play.
Luke Graham pushed back for the T-Wolves, cashing in on a corner kick to even the score at 1-1.
The man of the hour, Luke Graham fresh off his first @CanadaWest goal in a hard-fought 1-1 draw with UBCO. pic.twitter.com/qmCC6sLF1e
— UNBC Timberwolves (@UNBCATHLETICS) September 8, 2024
Both Woodroofe and Pierce made five saves each. UBCO improves to 2-2-2 while UNBC is 0-4-2.
On Friday, Mellett notched the game winner (1-0) for the Heat in the 66th minute to break open a scoreless tie
In women’s action, UNBC dropped both ends of its season-opening two-game road swing.
The T-Wolves were blanked 4-0 on Friday by the Mount Royals in Calgary.
After playing tough for 45 minutes escaping with a scoreless deadlock, the floodgates opened as the Cougars rippled the onion bag four consecutive times.
Catriona McFadden and Julia Makloski scored ten minutes apart in the 49th and 59th minute respectively.
Mount Royal added two more in stoppage time (90th minute) courtesy of Avery Dalton and Tamara Djurisic.
Lauren Gubbles who came on in relief of starter Brityn Hinsche who was replaced due to injury gave up four goals on six shots.
UNBC then dropped a 4-1 decision to the Victoria Vikes on Sunday.
Abby MacDonald (Victoria) and Claire Turner (UNBC) traded goals in the game’s first 11 minutes.
The 🐻…
With a beauty setup from KJ.
1-1. pic.twitter.com/qBLfDEjLOZ
— UNBC Timberwolves (@UNBCATHLETICS) September 8, 2024
Like Friday, the dam broke defensively for UNBC as the Vikes scored three times in the final 45 minutes.
Claire Nicholas, Ruby Nicholas and, Sophie Fingarson solved Gubbels to help the Vikes improve to 2-1-0 on the season.
Gubbels made 8 saves on 12 shots in defeat for the 0-2 Timberwolves.
Both UNBC soccer teams are back in action Friday and Sunday at Masich Place Stadium with a pair of double headers.
The T-Wolves welcome Thompson Rivers at 5pm (women) and the Calgary Dinos at 7:30 (men).
That’s followed up by a pair of Sunday matinees with UNBC hosting UBC Okanagan (women) at Noon and MacEwan at 2:30 (men).
The KAMptain with a massive defensive play to keep the score at 1-1. pic.twitter.com/oRkzU4aw91
— UNBC Timberwolves (@UNBCATHLETICS) September 8, 2024
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