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Written by JASON PETERS, Citizen staff
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Monday, 06 October 2008 |
They nearly stole a point from a powerhouse.
The UNBC Northern Timberwolves were one shot away from earning a draw with the Capilano University Blues Sunday afternoon at the North Cariboo Senior Soccer League Fields. The UNBC men settled for a 4-3 loss to the Blues, the top team in the B.C. Colleges Athletic Association.
UNBC’s gutsy effort came one day after the team was blown out 6-1 by the Vancouver Island University Mariners.
“Our policy for this (Sunday) game was ‘pride in the effort and not the result,’” said UNBC midfielder Matt Mehrassa, a force for his team all match. “We were going in just trying to compete and do the work for 90 minutes and I think we did well. We had a few lapses here and there and they capitalized, but overall we played well. We played hard.”
The Blues went into Sunday’s contest as holders of an 8-1-0 record. But it was the T-wolves, 2-6-1 prior to the kickoff, who were in control in the early stages. Mehrassa and teammate Arnold Ngabo were giving Blues defenders major headaches. On one play, Mehrassa used a brilliant spin move to create space between himself and his check and then ripped a shot at the Capilano net from about 22 yards out. Unfortunately for UNBC, the ball nailed the crossbar. And, as often happens in situations like that, Capilano’s Ylya Malek opened the scoring moments later. Ricardo Teixeira then pushed the lead to 2-0 after he took advantage of a UNBC turnover.
The T-wolves needed some life, and Mehrassa gave it to them when he took a short pass from Ngabo and, from the top right corner of the 18-yard box, fired a shot into the low left corner of the Capilano net.
“I’ve been trying to get this monkey off my back for the season,” Mehrassa said. “I haven’t been able to finish any, so I’m just trying to keep it in my head that when I get a sniff I have to go and shoot. I saw (the corner) open and managed to finish this time.”
Mehrassa, a 22-year-old sciences student, said he loves playing alongside Ngabo. “He’s a workhorse and he makes good runs. He makes it easy for me,” said Mehrassa.
The Blues went ahead 3-1 in the second half but UNBC’s Andrew Seabrook -- set up by Scott DeBianchi -- scored on a left-footed volley from the top of the box to bring the score to 3-2. The Blues then moved into a 4-2 advantage, but UNBC didn’t wilt. Instead, Ngabo used a sliding effort at the side of the Capilano net and pushed the ball inside the goalpost. The Ngabo marker happened with a few minutes left to play, and the Timberwolves got no closer.
Alan McIndoe and Milad Rahmati scored the other goals for the Blues.
UNBC’s record slipped to 2-7-1 while Capilano improved to 9-1-0. The T-wolves now sit seventh in the eight-team league. Despite the Sunday setback, UNBC assistant coach Brad Stewart was generally happy with what he saw.
“The second half was way better than the first, and that’s nice,” Stewart said. “We’ve got to get more consistent. And the second half is (the level) where we should be playing and where we’re capable of playing. We just need to do it over 90 minutes, because these guys are as good as anybody.”
The Mariners, UNBC’s Saturday opponent, are one spot ahead of the Timberwolves in the standings with a record of 3-5-2.
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Last Updated ( Monday, 06 October 2008 )
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