No. 2-ranked Thunderbirds knock off men's soccer 2-0
The UBC Okanagan Heat men's soccer team suffered their second loss of the weekend on Saturday evening as the dropped a 2-0 decision to the U SPORTS No. 2-ranked UBC Thunderbirds at Nonis Sports Field.
The Thunderbirds jumped on the Heat quickly in the opening half as they controlled the play, putting up 16 shots in the half.
Heat keeper Ronan Woodroffe of Toronto, would make five saves in the opening 45 minutes but would be beaten twice by Luke Norman of Vancouver, who scored his fourth and fifth goals of the season to stake the visitors to a 2-0 lead.
The second half was much more balanced as the Heat found their footing in the contest. Shots slightly favoured the Thunderbirds 6-5 as UBCO pushed to get back into the match. Forward Oliver Deveau of Vancouver, would have the best chances to find the back of the net for the Heat midway through the half, but he was unable to find the target.
Woodroffe would finish the match with eight saves, giving him 64 on the season, the second-most in the conference this year.
TOP PERFORMERS
D Ian Klumpen - UBCO
The second-year defender from Austin, Texas was solid along the backline for the Heat as UBCO held the high-flying Thunderbirds to just two goals.
MF Luke Norman - UBC
The second-year midfielder moved into fourth in the conference in goal scoring this season with a pair of tallies.
WHERE THEY STAND
With the loss, the Heat (2-6-3) fall five points behind the Trinity Western Spartans for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Pacific division. As for UBC, their impressive season continues as they remain undefeated at 7-0-2 on the year.
UP NEXT
The Heat hit the road as they travel down to Langley, B.C., to take on the Trinity Western Spartans on Friday, October 4. Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m. and the game can be seen live on CanadaWest.tv.
_____________________________
Women's soccer drops narrow decision to No. 1-ranked Thunderbirds
On a night in which they honoured their graduating seniors, the UBC Okanagan Heat women's soccer team gave the U SPORTS No. 1-ranked UBC Thunderbirds all they could handle but came out on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline.
Through the opening 30 minutes of the match, the Heat were the better team on the pitch as they dominated possession and were in the UBC half for much of the time. The Heat's best opportunity to score came in the 12th minute as the team's leading scorer, Eleni Georgacacos of Calgary, fired a shot from the top of the box but it was denied by UBC keeper Dakota Beckett of Langley, B.C.
An early pair of substitutions by the Thunderbirds in the 31st minute turned the tied for the visitors as they began to push deeper into the Heat's half. UBC was able to generate a pair of shots on goal before halftime but UBCO keeper Talia Gagnon of Dieppe, N.B., was solid in net and kept the game scoreless through 45 minutes.
UBCO would continue to control possession in the early part of the second half and nearly got the breakthrough in the 60th minute. A ball in from Abigail Taneda of West Kelowna, B.C., found the head of Megan Sun of Langley, B.C. Her shot beat Beckett but not the post and the game remained scoreless.
UBC continued to push, forcing Gagnon into a number of difficult stops but they would eventually breakthrough in the 80th minute. Nisa Reehal of New Westminster, B.C., took a pass from Sienna Gibson of Vancouver, and she found the back of the net to put the visitors ahead 1-0.
The Heat would try to push forward for the remainder of the match, but were unable to get a quality chance on goal as they dropped a fourth-straight one-goal decision to their sister-school rivals.
Gagnon would finish the match with nine saves, matching her career best while Beckett earned the clean sheet making one stop.
Prior to kickoff, the Heat recognized forward Alyssa Scott of North Vancouver, B.C., along with defenders Holly Tarves of North Vancouver, B.C., and Sophie Campbell of Surrey, B.C., who were all playing their final regular season game with UBCO.
TOP PERFORMERS
D Sophie Campbell - UBCO
Playing in her final regular season home game, the fourth-year defender was outstanding on the Heat backline, limiting UBC's scoring opportunities and setting up the Heat's offence time and time again.
MF Jade Taylor-Ryan - UBC
One of the 31st minute subs by the Thunderbirds, the native of Ottawa, was a force up top for UBC and finished the match with four shots, including three on goal.
WHERE THEY STAND
With the loss, the Heat (4-4-1) drop back to .500 as they remain on 13 points for the season. Meanwhile, the Thunderbirds (8-0-0) remain perfect as they top the Pacific division with 24 points.
UP NEXT
The Heat will open up a five-game road trip to wrap up their regular season on Friday, October 4 as they take on the U SPORTS No. 6-ranked Trinity Western Spartans. Kickoff in Langley, B.C., is set for 5 p.m. and the game can be seen live on CanadaWest.tv.
__________________________
Georgacacos' big night propels women's soccer to win over UNBC
UBC Okanagan midfielder Eleni Georgacacos recorded three points, including the game-winning goal, to lift the Heat to a 3-1 victory over the visiting UNBC Timberwolves on Friday night at Nonis Sports Field.
Less than two weeks after the Heat were upset 1-0 by the Timberwolves in Prince George, Georgacacos and her teammates scored three times in the opening 30 minutes of the match to ensure there would be no upset this time around.
Rookie defender Ainsley Kirk of Airdrie, Alta., who was making her first-ever appearance for Heat after missing all of last season due to injury, opened the scoring five minutes into the match, converting a pass from Georgacacos in the box for her first career goal.
Twenty minutes later, it was Georgacacos' turn as she scored her second goal in as many games, this time off a cross from rookie Braxtyn Catana of Calgary, to put the hosts up 2-0.
Moments later, Georgacacos played a deft little touch in the box to fourth-year forward Alyssa Scott of North Vancouver, B.C., who turned and fired home her team-leading third of the season to make it 3-0.
UNBC would get on the board off a set piece early in the second half but would get no closer as the Heat extended their point streak to three games.
TOP PERFORMERS
MF Eleni Georgacacos - UBCO
The second-year midfielder from Calgary had a night to remember as her three points ties the single-game team record held by four other players. She now has two goals and three assists on the year, matching her point total from her rookie season.
GK Brityn Hinsche - UNBC
The third-year goalkeeper from Williams Lake, B.C., finished the night with six saves, including the 200th of her career, to keep her team in the contest as UBCO dominated the shot attemps 14-4.