With each passing game, another positive lesson gleamed for the up-and-coming UNBC Timberwolves women's soccer program. Friday night at Masich Place Stadium on a classic autumn evening the UNBC Timberwolves (0-6-1) dropped a hard-fought decision to the visiting Alberta Pandas (3-3-3). Three different Pandas found the scoresheet en route to victory while the TWolves were led by a 12-save effort from goalkeeper Brityn Hinsche and a steady two-way effort from fourth-year veteran Sarah Lepine.
The young scrappy TWolves started the match with some strong, fast ball movement. In the fourth minute, Sidney Elliott did well to force an opening for herself down the left side and into the penalty area, but her last touch on a forward ball had a hair too much steam and she couldn't quite run it down before it scooted out of bounds beside the Alberta goal.
In the ninth minute, Emily Duxbury had the first strong chance for the visitors when she found daylight along the left-side but placed a low shot wide left on the UNBC goal.
Neil Sedgwick's crew stuck with it and used their speed and tenacity to win a handful of 50/50 battles in the mid-field, forcing Alberta to make some panicked decisions. That speed would eventually result in a free kick for Claire Turner (19thminute) from just from just outside the 18-yard box. The Fort St. John product snuck a low ball through the line of Alberta defenders but goalkeeper Autumn Wynn lunged to the right and barely kept the ball from crossing the line.
That save would prove vital for the visitors, as 10 minutes later, third-year midfielder Wanda Czebruszuk ('29) would strike off a penalty kick to lift the Pandas to a 1-0 lead. For Czebruszuk it marked her fourth of the season. She'd later add an assist on the next Alberta marker.
Seven minutes later, Alberta doubled their lead ('36) when Erin Hope won a 50/50 race to a loose ball in close and managed to float the ball up and over the head of Brityn Hinsche for her second of the CW campaign.
Alberta maintained solid possession through the latter moments of the first half, outshooting UNBC 19-2. Brityn Hinsche dazzled with seven saves in the first half for UNBC while Autumn Wynn had two for the Pandas.
One of Brityn Hinsche's most memorable saves of the match occurred in the the 57th minute. The Williams Lake native went airborne to deflect Erin Hope's high shot narrowly overtop of the crossbar.
The Pandas were solid defensively in the second half, and further padded their lead in the 70th minute when forward Emily Duxbury (4) launched a perfectly placed high shot from 25-yards out that soared over the reaching arms of Brityn Hinsche.
The final shot tally favoured Alberta by a 27-4 margin.
True to their form all season, the UNBC Timberwolves showed no quit. A true testament of that mindset Friday came via fourth-year midfielder Sarah Lepine. Lepine's competitiveness, leadership and quality ball movement resulted in her receiving Mr. Mike's Player of the Game honours for the TWolves.
Up next for UNBC – A Sunday afternoon home clash with the MacEwan Griffins at 2:15 pm. Alberta will head South to UBC to battle the Thunderbirds on Sunday afternoon.
