Heat play to draw in final game of season

From L to R: Ashley Albores (3rd year, Spring, TX), Madeleine Greig (3rd year, Penticton, BC), Taylor Sarchet (5th year, Surrey, BC), Jennifer Kidd (5th year, Richmond, BC), Hayley Uyeyama (5th year, Kelowna, BC) and Lana Finley (3rd year, Kelowna, BC) will be graduating after this season (photo by UBC Okanagan Heat Athletics)

Women’s Soccer (PACWEST Conference play)

Sunday, October 20th, 2013 SCHEDULE & RESULTS | BOX SCORE
Nonis Sports Field, UBC’s Okanagan campus, Kelowna, B.C.

UBC Okanagan Heat (7-3-4) vs. Quest University Kermodes (9-4-1)

KELOWNA, B.C. – In what would be a preview for their first round matchup at the PACWEST Provincial Championship next weekend, the UBC Okanagan Heat took on the Quest Kermodes at Nonis Field on Sunday and played to a 0-0 tie.

"Today was a good chance to change our strategy a bit, push a little bit harder at times, and it worked for the most part," noted Heat Player of the Game Kirsten Dodds (Forward, 3rd year, Vernon, BC). "We were missing a couple of key players today and the players that stepped in did great, but I think it'll be a different story when we are at full force [next weekend]."

Neither team was without their chances. In the 11th minute of the game the Heat's Kirsten Dodds cracked a shot off of a scramble in the Kermodes box, but Quest keeper Taylor Shantz (2nd year, Kamloops, BC) made a picture-perfect save to keep the match scoreless.

In the second half the Kermodes upped the pressure on the Heat, starting with an early goal scoring opportunity by midfielder Brianna Powrie (3rd year, Kamloops, BC), who was thwarted by the indomitable Christine Tallon (Goalkeeper, 4th year, Kamloops, BC). Despite pushing back and generating more offense through the efforts of late Heat substitutions such as Mairi Horth (Midfielder, 2nd year, Ladysmith, BC), the Heat couldn't put away a goal to close the match.

"It was frustrating today not being able to come out with the win for our last home game," observed outbound fullback Ashley Albores (3rd year, Spring, TX). That said, Albores was optimistic about the upcoming provincial championships. "Overall we're really excited to see what we can do. This provincials is our last chance in this league to prove why we deserve to go up [the Heat soccer teams are CIS bound in the fall of 2014]. We need to make a statement, for everybody and for ourselves."

Graduating forward Lana Finley (3rd year, Kelowna, BC) was also in good spirits following Sunday's game. "It's been a good three years. I think this year has been the best so far. The group is great, we're heading into the provincials with our heads held high; we know what we need to do."

The Heat and the Kermodes will face off against each other again next weekend, this time in the semi-finals of the PACWEST Provincial Championship in Nanaimo.

2013 PACWEST Provincial Soccer Championships Schedule

The 2013 PACWEST Soccer Provincials Web-site can be accessed from the main VIU Mariners site at www.gomariners.ca or go directly to pacwestbc.ca/soccer2013/