Three goals in the span of 15 minutes proved to be the knockout blow for the UNBC Timberwolves women’s soccer team, falling 5-0 to the UBC Thunderbirds on Sunday at Masich Place Stadium.
Maddy Norman, who leads the Canada West in goals (5) and points (8) only needed five minutes to ripple the onion bag against T-Wolves goalkeeper Johana Ruthke, giving the visitors an early 1-nil advantage.
UBC continued to show its clinical touch around the box on set pieces. During a Bailey Doerksen corner kick, defender Sophia Ferreira found a seam inside the UNBC coverage a delivered a perfect header past Rathke, doubling the lead to 2-0.
This wouldn’t be the last time the T-Wolves would hear from the Thunderbird backliner. Ferreira doubled her fun eight minutes later notching her second of the contest further extending the UBC stranglehold.
The adage the best defense is a great offense rung true for UBC in the 65th minute. Off another corner, Sabriana Carreira also delivered a perfectly timed header into the UNBC goal, marking the third consecutive strike converted by a defender.
Norman added insult to injury in the 85th minute with her second of the contest, rifling a shot past Rathke.
The juggernaut Thunderbirds improved to 4-0-0 on the season while UNBC dropped to 0-4-0.
Nobody has seen more balls drilled their way than Rathke over the first two weekends of play. The second-year German has made a league-leading 40 saves – nine better than Sabrina Alexander of MacEwan.
Fifteen of those occurred during Sunday’s defeat to the T-Birds.
Last season, Rathke set a school and Canada West record with 161 saves.
UNBC embarks on its first road trip of the season next Friday and Saturday when they take on Fraser Valley (1-2-1) and Trinity Western (2-1-1).
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing pgnews@vistaradio.ca.
