This Friday, the UNBC Timberwolves are taking on the UBC Thunderbirds, the top university women’s soccer team in the country the past two years, in the first of a Canada West weekend doubleheader at Masich Place Stadium.
The TWolves know they’ll be going into that clash with the T-birds as huge underdogs and they’re hoping to pack the bleachers with enthusiastic UNBC fans to help overcome what promises to be a formidable opponent.
Fans who show up at the stadium will be treated to a tailgate party barbecue free to all UNBC students that starts at Friday 4:30 p.m. – 90 minutes before game time. A DJ will be spinning the tunes, lawn games will keep people entertained and there are prizes up for grabs, including a $2,000 tuition waiver.
The TWolves (0-4) are coming off a pair of one-goal losses last week in Abbotsford to the Fraser Valley Cascades.
Johanna Rathke, a German import in her first year of U SPORTS, kept the scores close and now leads all Canada West goalies with 42 saves. UNBC has limited its opponents to two goals or less in three of the four games.
Scarlet Thomas, a second-year midfielder from Australia, returned to action from an injury that forced her to miss the first two games and scored UNBC’s first goal and only goal so far this season in Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the Cascades. The TWolves generated a combined 14 shots on goal in those two Fraser Valley games
UBC went undefeated in 2024 and is off to a 4-0 start. The T-birds have yet to allow a goal this season, outscoring their opponents a combined 9-0.
Ella Sunde, Sienna Gibson, Ava Alexander each have two goals this season and fourth-year forward Jayda Thompson leads the T-birds with three assists.
The rematch is scheduled for Sunday at noon.
The UNBC men (3-1-0) travel to Victoria for games against the Vikes (3-1-0) Friday and Saturday, both at 7:15 p.m.
