If only they made soccer nets 15 feet high, chances are the UNBC Timberwolves men’s team would not be contemplating yet another CIS Canada West Conference loss.
They had their chances to score Saturday on a cold blustery day at North Cariboo Field against the UBC-Okanagan Heat of Kelowna and had two great opportunities in the second half but on both occasions their shots from point-blank range sailed high into the stratosphere.
The Heat found the target twice behind UNBC goalie Rob Goodey, scoring one goal in each half to walk off with a 2-0 victory.
Goodey fell victim to perfect low-angle cross from Luke Warkentin to Spencer Young from just outside the box, 18 minutes into the game, and could certainly not be blamed for failing to prevent the second strike by the Heat when Zach Rachynski fed the ball over to Corbin Beauchemin in the 62nd minute. Beauchemin’s header gave the Heat some needed breathing room to hold off a determined T-wolves squad which provided plenty of pushback in the second half.
Right after Goodey made a huge diving save to deny Shaun Filcher, UNBC forward Tofa Fakunle worked the ball upfield and timed a high chip-shot pass which landed at the feet of Keenan Cartwright and the second-year midfielder from Squamish just missed on the shot, putting it up over the crossbar.
The Heat was ahead 2-0 when UNBC got within scoring range as a result of a determined dash from the left side of the field from Cheona Edzerza. Edzerza spotted an open Alex Nielson, who had just come off the bench, and from 10 yards out, Nielson whistled a shot high over the goal defended by goalie Mitch McCaw.
UNBC head coach Steve Simonson said his team got the outcome it deserved. They still struggle to finish off plays in the top third of the field and it shows in their record. Only MacEwan and Fraser Valley have scored fewer goals (six) in Canada West play than UNBC (eight) and the T-wolves, who are heading into their bye weekend, have played two more games than each of those teams. UNBC generated better chances in the second half but not enough of them.
“We had a more energetic second half but I don’t think we were better,” said Simonson. “Everyone judges the game by intensity only, and I think that’s an unfair assessment, although we were not an intensity level that was good enough to win the game in the first half so we chased it.
“The reality is we have to take care of our house and we haven’t done that. We’re right on the bubble. We felt sorry for ourselves the first 45 minutes because they scored a goal and it’s just not good enough. We do lot of good things, we just don’t do them well enough and until they learn to take the game by the horns they’re not going to win.”
Simonson was especially pleased with the play of centreback Jonah Smith, a first-year player from Victoria, who usually plays midfield but was called into service on the backline to replace Gordon Hall, who was serving a one-game suspension Saturday for one too many yellow cards.
“He was our best player and he was basically bossing the team around, telling then how to play, and he’s only 18 years old, so the future is bright there,” said Simonson.
McCaw made four saves to earn his third shutout of the season, allowing the Heat to improve to its season record to 4-3-2. The loss dropped UNBC to 2-8-1. It was the first start in goal at home this season for Goodey, whose record fell to 0-3. He also was the goalie of record in road losses against CIS powerhouses UBC and Calgary.
The same teams meet again Sunday at North Cariboo Field starting at 2:15 p.m.
The UNBC women were on the road this weekend. They lost to Fraser Valley 6-0 Friday night in Abbotsford to drop to 0-7-0 on the season. The top-ranked Trinity Western Spartans defeated UNBC 4-0 Saturday evening in Langley.
