Coming on the heels of 1-1 tie with the nationally-ranked Trinity Western University Spartans last weekend in Langley, the UNBC Timberwolves returned to home turf Friday and earned a massive win over another member of the U SPORTS women’s soccer top-10.
The T-wolves got goals from strikers Paige Payne and Claire Turner to trigger a 2-1 win over the Calgary Dinos.
Playing in front of 1,200 school district students at Masich Place, the Timberwolves fed off the energy of the raucous crowd and struck first in the 20th minute. A pair of Canada West All-Stars connected for UNBC as defender Mara McCleary sent Payne in with a long ball over the top that the Kitimat product hammered on her first touch past a diving Dino goalie Katie French. The goal was the eighth of the campaign for Payne, moving her into third in the Canada West Conference.
The two teams traded chances much of the rest of the half, with Payne hitting a post for the Timberwolves, while Jayden Berg and Shyanne Hedges each had looks for the Dinos.
In the second half, Calgary came out pressing the UNBC backline, and had looks off the feet of Jayden Berg, Julia Fox, and Rachel Barlow, but keeper Brooke Molby did well to keep the sheet clean. In the 57th minute, McCleary sent a ball deep into Dinos’ territory that was corralled by a streaking Sidney Elliott. The Powell River product sent it into the box, finding Turner, whose shot snuck just inside the left post for her first of the season.
Calgary, ranked 10th in the nation this week, turned up the intensity, seeking a goal that would cut into the deficit, eventually finding it in the 81st minute. Off a Barlow corner kick, Sofia DiGiacomo got enough of it to beat Molby and a slew of T-wolves defenders, bouncing over the line for her fourth of the season, making it 2-1.
The Dinos were intent on finding the equalizer, advancing the ball into the UNBC third of the field and earning a number of free kicks and corners, but the T-wolves defenders, led by McCleary, did enough to hold the fort, securing the one-goal victory.
With the win, UNBC improves to 4-5-2, putting them in position to make a push for the Canada West playoffs as the season winds down. Calgary’s defeat drops them to 6-4-1 on the season. The two Pacific Division rivals will clash again on Saturday at noon at Masich Place Stadium.
The UNBC men have no games scheduled this weekend.
