The UNBC Timberwolves' men's soccer playoff hopes remain intact.
The Thompson Rivers University WolfPack kept that possibility alive Thursday night in Kelowna with a 1-0 win U Sports Canada West Conference win over the UBC-Okanagan Heat. Justin Donaldson scored the only goal, 15 minutes in.
That improved the WolfPack to 6-3-5 and solidified TRU's grip on third place in the Pacific Division. The Heat (5-6-3) continues to hold down the fourth and final playoff spot, sporting a better winning percentage than the fifth-place T-wolves (5-5-6). The rematch is set for Saturday in Kamloops, the final game of the season for both teams.
The Victoria Vikings (5-7-1) have two remaining games this weekend and could leap ahead of UNBC, which has a bye this weekend. The Vikes play on the road tonight at Fraser Valley (4-7-3, seventh in the Pacific) and Saturday at Trinity Western (6-4-4, second place).
A soccer win is worth three points and each team gets one point for a tie. If the Vikes are held to three points or less and the Heat gain no more than one point in Saturday's game, UNBC will clinch its first-ever playoff berth and will start playoffs next weekend against Alberta.
The UNBC women can lock up their first-ever Canada West playoff berth if they win either of their two games left this weekend - Saturday afternoon at Thompson Rivers and Sunday afternoon at UBC-Okanagan. UNBC (3-7-2) now holds the sixth and final playoff spot in the Pacific Division. TRU (3-8-1) ranks seventh and UBC-Okanagan (1-9-2) is eighth.
If the T-wolves tie with TRU on Saturday they would still need a win over the Heat to claim the final playoff berth. If UNBC loses to the WolfPack, they would have to beat the Heat in Kelowna and have Thompson Rivers tie or lose to Grant MacEwan on Sunday.
