The two B.C. Interior teams played even for 90 minutes as the relocated match from Prince George to Kelowna ends in a (1-1) draw.
Sunday, October 16th, 2016
Nonis Field, Kelowna, BC
SCORING 1 2 FINAL UNBC (0-10-1) 1 0 1 UBC Okanagan (4-7-1) 0 1 1
KELOWNA, BC – The UNBC Timberwolves and UBC Okanagan Heat battled hard for the full 90 minutes en route to a 1-1 draw at Nonis Field on Sunday.
Maddy Doucette (Prince George, B.C.) scored her first career CIS goal for the Timberwolves (0-10-1), while Susan Traynor (Calgary, Alta.) replied for the Heat (4-7-1). Traynor, the third year midfielder from Calgary was playing in just her second match of the season after recovering from injury.
Shanna Olsen (Prince George, B.C.) was in her first CIS start in goal for UNBC, stopping eight of nine Heat shots on goal.
For UBC Okanagan, Joella Koblischke (Lake Country, B.C.) and Caralina Serrano (Manotick, Ont.) combined to make four saves. For freshman Serrano it was her first exposure to a CIS match, she deftly handled her only challenge in the final 45 minutes.
The game was originally supposed to be played in Prince George, but inclement weather forced a relocation to Kelowna with both teams travelling on Saturday to play Sunday morning. UNBC bused from Prince George while UBC Okanagan changed their flights from Edmonton to Prince George to fly from Edmonton, where they played on Friday afternoon against Alberta, to Kelowna.
UBC Okanagan put the heat on early, but Olsen, who normally plays as a midfielder for the Timberwolves, was up to the challenge, making several key saves in the game's opening 15 minutes. Courtney Hemmerling, who had three points in the September match between these two with two goals and an assist, peppered the Wolves keeper early.
After withstanding the Heat's early onslaught it was UNBC who struck first. In the 24th minute, as a pass back from a Heat defender hopped over Koblischke's foot, and Doucette won a foot race to tap the ball into the open net for a 1-0 UNBC lead, which stood through halftime.
UBC Okanagan got even early in the second half, as a ball from the right wing found its way to Brittany Wheeler (Nelson, B.C.), who found Traynor running into the 18-yard box with a pass off her heel. Traynor then calmly slotted the ball past Olsen in the 50th minute, leveling the contest at 1-1.
From there, the remainder of the contest was largely back and forth as each team had its fair share of opportunities, though there was no further scoring.
UNBC wraps up its regular season in Alberta, with games against the MacEwan University Griffins on Saturday (noon Mountain time), and the Mount Royal University Cougars on Sunday (11 a.m. Mountain time).
UBC Okanagan ends the regular season at home against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies (Saturday, 1 p.m. Pacific) and the University of Regina Cougars (Sunday, 1 p.m. Pacific). As they look to secure their playoff position with points at home again st the two Prairie Division foes.
~ With notes from Geordie Callagher, UNBC Sports Information
