The UNBC Timberwolves still have a shot at the Canada West women's soccer playoffs.
They did their part to remain in the U Sports postseason picture, stoning the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack 2-0 Friday night at Masich Place Stadium.
The T-wolves also needed some external help and the MacEwan Griffins gave that to them in the form of a 4-1 defeat of the UBC Okanagan Heat earlier Friday night in Edmonton.
The T-wolves, WolfPack and Heat are in a three-way dogfight for sixth place in the Pacific Division. Only the top six advance to the playoffs and that sixth spot won't be decided until the final games of the season on Sunday.
Friday night at Masich, UNBC sophomore Brooke Molby, was cast into the role late as the starting goalie and she almost singlehandedly took the team on her shoulders, diving and punching her way to a 12-save shutout.
At the other end of the field, rookie midfielders Ashley Volk and Hannah Emmond picked the perfect time to score the first goals of their university soccer careers. Volk, a 20-year-old from Victoria, got her forehead on a high looping cross-feed from Julia Babicz and deflected the ball in from 10 yards out. The goal came 4:57 into the game. "That was super-awesome, moving into a different position this year I think it's all coming together - (Babicz) delivered a great ball in and I was just able to finish it," said Volk. "We've been working a lot on heading and it paid off."
Emmond, a 19-year-old Prince George youth soccer product, was subbed in late in the first half and was on the field for the second-half kickoff, which turned out a fortuitous decision by T-wolves head coach Neil Sedgwick. Less than two minutes into the second half Emmond was at the receiving end of a breakaway pass from Paige Payne and she made it count, booting a high shot from 20 yards out that beat WolfPack goalie Danielle Robertson.
It didn't take long for the WolfPack to test Molby's reflexes. Early in the first half, Marlie Rittinger ripped a hard shot from just inside the box which was heading into the upper reaches of the net until Molby punched it away with her fist, one of about a half-dozen diving saves she made while on the way to her third shutout of the season.
TRU forward Chantal Gammie came close not long after that, redirecting a corner kick with her foot. The shot got past Molby and was heading into the net but UNBC defender Kylie Erb, playing the second-last home game of her five-year career, was standing on the goal line to deflect the shot. But Molby stole the show.
"Talk about being ready," said Sedgwick. "She made a fantastic save early in the game and tipped one over the bar and then just continued to progress. What a fantastic effort from Brooke."
Molby had been nursing a knee injury to her prime kicking leg in the T-wolves' game last Sunday and wasn't expected to start but a family issue affecting goalie Madi Doyle resulted in the game-day lineup change.
"At the last minute, Neil decided to put me in and I was pretty nervous at first but I feel I stepped up to it and it was good game for everyone," said Molby. "I practiced once this week but it was very light and I only did light passing, no kicking.
"I was getting a little nervous at the end. They were really pushing us and we dropped off a bit, which kind of stressed me out, but we deserved the win and I'm happy with that."
After Emmond's goal, the WolfPack answered by creating several Grade-A chances at the net but each time Molby was there to make the save. They played much of the second half in the UNBC end but came away empty-handed. The shots on goal favoured the T-wolves 16-12.
"The girls did really well tonight, we had a plan and they stuck to it and executed well," said Sedgwick. "They knew what was on the line and competed well. They worked hard and defended well and credit to TRU, they had a few chances on us and created some problems.
"Last year it came down to the last weekend for the same three teams and we're all not just scrapping to get off the bottom anymore. We are at the bottom but now we're challenging the teams at the top. We're contenders when we're playing against any other team at the top of the league, so the parity is getting better."
UNBC (2-8-3, eighth in Pacific) will host UBC Okanagan (3-8-2, sixth place) in the final game of the regular season for both teams Sunday at noon at Masich. It's a must-win game for the T-wolves, who will also have to get help from MacEwan Sunday in Edmonton. If UNBC wins and the Griffins defeat TRU, the T-wolves will be in the playoffs for the second straight season. "Grant MacEwan's a great team and we're just confident in their ability to hopefully win the next game, just like they did tonight," said Volk.
In Canada West men's soccer action Friday night in Abbotsford, Andrew Peat scored the only goal of the game in the 90th minute, giving the Fraser Valley Cascades a 1-0 win over the UNBC T-wolves. With that victory the Casades (7-6-1) leapfrogged the T-wolves (5-4-5) and clinched third place in the Pacific Division.
