MacNeil wins first race back with Heat, capturing first at the Stewart Cup
UBCO Heat sports report for October 11 to 13
UBC Okanagan Heat women's cross country runner Lauren McNeil picked up right where she left off three years ago as she won her first race of the 2024 season on Saturday, winning the Stewart Cup hosted by the Calgary Dinos.
MacNeil, a native of Buxton, England who attended UBCO as an exchange student during the 2021 season, winning two meets while capturing silver at both the Canada West and U SPORTS Championships, was dominant against a strong field. The European Championships gold medalist in the women's team half marathon for Great Britain won comfortably, posting a time of 25 minutes, 53.3 seconds, over a minute ahead Trinity Western's Constance Nankivell.
Two other members of the Heat grabbed Top 20 finishes including Kristen Smith of Georgetown, Ont., who was seventh in 28:03.1 while Brooke Lawlor of Vernon, B.C., was 15th in 28:51.6.
As a team, the Heat finished in third place with 68 points, trailing only the Victoria Vikes (38) and UBC Thunderbirds (48).
In the men's race, Owen Lloyd of Cambridge, Ont., led the way for the Heat as he finished 17th in a deep field, posting a time of 24:32.6
Two other UBCO runners earned Top 35 finishes with Kyle Porter of Ottawa crossing in 26th in 25:02.5 while Isaac Baker of Surrey, B.C., was 33rd in 25:10.0.
As a team, the Heat finished in eighth place with 164 points.
UBCO will now begin preparations for the 2024 Canada West Championships in two weeks' time in Camrose, Alta., their final event before hosting the 2024 U SPORTS Championships at Mission Recreation Park on Saturday, November 9.
WOMEN'S TEAM STANDINGS
1. Victoria Vikes - 38
2. UBC Thunderbirds - 48
3. UBCO Heat - 68
4. Saskatchewan Huskies - 101
5. Calgary Dinos - 117
6. Alberta Pandas - 170
HEAT WOMEN INDIVIDUAL FINISHERS
1. Lauren McNeil - 25:53.3
7. Kristen Smith - 28:03.1
15. Brooke Lawlor - 28:51.6
25. Lys Milne - 29:23.1
27. Ella Wigmore - 29:27.4
32. Sophie Hamilton - 29:44.3
44. Madelyn Kaban - 30:36.7
MEN'S TEAM STANDINGS
1. Victoria Vikes - 61
2. UBC Thunderbirds - 89
3. Trinity Western Spartans - 95
4. Saskatchewan Huskies - 102
5. Alberta Golden Bears - 115
6. Calgary Dinos - 131
7. Regina Cougars - 149
8. UBCO Heat - 164
HEAT MEN INDIVIDUAL FINISHERS
17. Owen Lloyd - 24:32.6
26. Kyle Porter - 25:02.5
33. Isaac Baker - 25:10.0
51. Aidan Small - 25:42.3
57. Joel Worman - 25:52.9
65. Christopher Crowe - 26:11.0
76. Basil Parkins - 26:48.2
77. Caleb Graham - 26:51.2
79. Joel Geake - 26:59.5
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Men's soccer season ends on high note with shutout win over WolfPack
Ronan Woodroffe made six saves and Spencer Mellett scored the game's only goal as the UBC Okanagan Heat men's soccer team wrapped up their season on a high note with a 1-0 victory over the Thompson Rivers WolfPack on Saturday evening at Nonis Sports Field.
With the win, the Heat grab a 2-0 lead in the men's Presidents' Cup competition with TRU heading to court sport season.
Mellett, a native of Coquitlam, B.C., scored the game's only goal in the 88th minute after coming on as a substitute.
With Thompson Rivers down to 10 men following a red card 10 minutes earlier, the rookie midfielder took a feed from Aidan Synnuck of Sidney, B.C., in behind the WolfPack defence. Working his way down the end line, he fired a shot from a sharp angle that snuck past TRU keeper Luca Ortu of Vancouver to give his team the late lead.
The chippy affair, which saw nine cards issued, would go eight minutes deep into stoppage time, allowing the shorthanded WolfPack to push for an equalizer. However, Woodroffe, the native of Toronto, was there with a pair of saves late to seal the victory.
Woodroffe shone for the Heat on the night, picking up player of the game honours, after recording his second penalty save of the weekend. The third-year keeper denied TRU's Minwoo Kang of Seoul, South Korea in the 64th minute, to keep the game scoreless.
His six saves also helped Woodroffe jump into a tie for 10th all-time in Canada West history for most saves in the single season with 84. In addition, his fourth win of the season moves Woodroffe into first place on the Heat's career wins list with 12, passing former UBCO keeper Mitch McCaw.
Prior to the match, the Heat recognized their three graduating seniors including defender Jacob York of Port Coquitlam, B.C., forward Zack MacInnes of Kelowna, B.C., and midfielder Alex Sol of Langley, B.C.
UBCO finishes the season with a 4-8-3 record, which will leave them in fifth place in the Canada West Pacific division standings.
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Sun stuns WolfPack with late brace as women's soccer rallies for 3-2 victory
The UBC Okanagan Heat women's soccer team played spoiler on graduating seniors night for the Thompson Rivers WolfPack as the visitors got two late goals from Megan Sun to record a 3-2 victory at Hillside Stadium.
In a wildly-entertaining game between the two Interior B.C. rivals, it was Sun, a native of Langley, B.C., who played hero for the Heat with her first two goals of the season.
Trailing 2-1 in the 79th minute, Sun scored her first of the match after some great work down the wing from Sydney Kolodizej. After beating her defender wide, the Kelowna, B.C., native sent a gorgeous ball into the box for Sun who simply tapped it into the open net to even the match at two.
Then, with the game deep into stoppage time, Sun chased a long ball down the field and was taken down by a WolfPack defender in the box. The third-year management major calmly stepped up to the spot and beat TRU keeper Cassandra De Amaral of Vancouver, to her left to give UBCO the victory.
Despite the hosts controlling play for much of the opening half, outshooting the Heat 7-2, it was UBCO who opened the scoring late in the 45th minute. Fourth-year midfielder Annika Gross of Kelowna, B.C., took a feed from Abigail Taneda of West Kelowna, B.C., and fired a shot from 25-yards out that beat De Amaral to give the Heat the lead at the break.
For Taneda, the assist gives her 20 points for her career with UBCO, tying her with former teammate Stefanie Young for the most points in a career by a member of the Heat.
With their playoff lives hanging in the balance, TRU responded with goals eight minutes apart early in the second half to take the lead. However, Sun's heroics would deny the hometown squad any points as UBCO jumped five points ahead of the WolfPack for fourth place in the Pacific division standings with just two games remaining for each side.
Shots in the match favoured the Heat 15-11, including 13-7 on goal. UBCO keeper Talia Gagnon of Dieppe, N.B., finished the match with five saves to pick up her sixth win of the season.
De Amaral took the loss making 10 saves.
UBCO now sits with a 6-5-1 record and 19 points on the campaign, two back of the Victoria Vikes (6-2-3) and one behind the Trinity Western Spartans (6-3-2) in the Pacific division. Meanwhile the WolfPack fall to 4-6-2.
The Heat will break for the remainder of the Thanksgiving weekend before returning to action on Friday, October 18 against the aforemention Vikes. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. in Victoria and the game can be seen live on CanadaWest.tv.
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Synnuck sends men's soccer to victory over WolfPack
Rookie forward Aidan Synnuck recorded a goal and an assist on Friday night to power the UBC Okanagan Heat men's soccer team to a 2-1 victory over the rival Thompson Rivers WolfPack at Nonis Sports Field.
Synnuck, a native of Sidney, B.C., opened the scoring with his second goal of his freshman campaign in the 16th minute. The arts major ran onto a lovely feed from Zack MacInnes of Kelowna, B.C., and fired a shot off the crossbar and in to give the Heat the early advantage.
After the WolfPack tied the match at one 20 minutes into the second half, Synnuck would play distributor as he set up the game-winning goal in the 76th minute. After the Heat caused a turnover in the middle of the pitch, Synnuck laid off a perfect pass for fellow rookie Jaise Shaw of Calgary, who made no mistake finding the far side of the net for his second goals of the season to give UBCO a 2-1 lead.
From there UBCO would shut down the WolfPack, allowing just a single shot to pick up their third win of the season.
In goal, Heat keeper Ronan Woodroffe of Toronto was impressive, turning aside four shots, including stopping a TRU penalty in the 59th minute, to pick up the victory.
With his four saves, Woodroffe also equals the UBCO record for most saves in a career with 178, tying the mark previously set by Nicholas Reitsma.
UBCO's win also gives them the early lead in the men's Presidents' Cup competition as they lead 1-0 as they look to reclaim the trophy after Thompson Rivers won it last season.