Box Score The young UNBC Timberwolves have their first victory of the 2024 Canada West season and it came in thrilling fashion.
Sunday afternoon in Saskatoon, the UNBC Timberwolves Men's Soccer squad captured their first victory of the 2024 season – a 3-2 decision over the Saskatchewan Huskies.
Mehdi Bounaaja (1G, 1A) and
Isaac Tate (2A) each had a pair of points for UNBC while
James Jordan and
Connor Lewis also found the scoresheet. Saskatchewan got their goals from Daler Tokhirov and Ethan Cabral.
Logan Pierce was sharp in the TWolves net, making 10 saves, placing him at the very top of the Canada West saves list.
The urgency and energy was evident from the jump for Steve Simonson's club as they appeared hellbent on leaving the Prairies with a positive result.
In the ninth minute,
Isaac Tate's skill and creativity were on full display. After gathering the ball at midfield on the left-wing, Tate flipped the ball over the Huskie defender to himself and then raced in on the goal. With a Huskie defender nearing from behind, he slid a pass to his right to the wide open
Mehdi Bounaaja. From there, the rookie from Surrey one-timed the feed into the open net for a dazzling first career Canada West goal.
The Huskies stormed back in the 29
th minute when third-year midfielder Daler Tokhirov finished off a wonderful individual effort that started at midfield. After receiving a pass from Ryan Ko, Tokhirov made a spectacular one-touch move to his left to beat a UNBC defender, and then from just outside the penalty area, he chipped a perfect ball between two more defenders and past
Logan Pierce to tie the game.
In the 37
th minute, UNBC snagged their lead back after a terrific three-way passing sequence between
Mehdi Bounaaja,
Connor Lewis and the eventual goal scorer
James Jordan. Bounaaja forced a pass up the middle to Lewis, who alertly spun his body around and found Bounaaja again. Bounaaja then snuck a spectacular pass through the Huskies defense to the open Jordan, who did the rest, converting on his first career goal.
The TWolves took that 2-1 lead into the break.
In the 64
th minute the Huskies once again got on even terms when Ethan Cabral was awarded a penalty kick after a defensive tackle from
Koss Nystedt inside the penalty area was deemed foul-worthy from the official. Cabral then placed a perfect ball just between the diving Pierce and his left post.
Luckily Steve Simonson's club had one more strike up their sleeve.
In the 70
th minute, the TWolves sent a deep ball into the Huskies end of the pitch.
Isaac Tate sprinted down the left-wing and kept the ball from going out of bounds beside the Huskies goal by launching a high lob to the far post.
Connor Lewis anticipated the ball brilliantly and used perfect positioning to deflect a header just inside the post and the Huskies goalkeeper George Arnold. For Lewis it marked his second goal of the season.
In the 74
th minute, the Huskies came oh so close to tying things up for a third time. But defender
Luke Graham planted himself on the goal line and made a header save to keep things in favour of UNBC.
Despite the final shots-on-target tally reading 12-5 for Saskatchewan, the TWolves were more opportunistic on Sunday, and held on to earn their first victory of the season.
For his two-point effort, including his first Canada West goal,
Mehdi Bounaaja was named Mr. Mike's Player of the Game.
The young UNBC Timberwolves have their first victory of the 2024 Canada West season and it came in thrilling fashion.
Sunday afternoon in Saskatoon, the UNBC Timberwolves Men's Soccer squad captured their first victory of the 2024 season – a 3-2 decision over the Saskatchewan Huskies. Mehdi Bounaaja (1G, 1A) and Isaac Tate (2A) each had a pair of points for UNBC while James Jordan and Connor Lewis also found the scoresheet. Saskatchewan got their goals from Daler Tokhirov and Ethan Cabral. Logan Pierce was sharp in the TWolves net, making 10 saves, placing him at the very top of the Canada West saves list.
The urgency and energy was evident from the jump for Steve Simonson's club as they appeared hellbent on leaving the Prairies with a positive result.
In the ninth minute, Isaac Tate's skill and creativity were on full display. After gathering the ball at midfield on the left-wing, Tate flipped the ball over the Huskie defender to himself and then raced in on the goal. With a Huskie defender nearing from behind, he slid a pass to his right to the wide open Mehdi Bounaaja. From there, the rookie from Surrey one-timed the feed into the open net for a dazzling first career Canada West goal.
The Huskies stormed back in the 29th minute when third-year midfielder Daler Tokhirov finished off a wonderful individual effort that started at midfield. After receiving a pass from Ryan Ko, Tokhirov made a spectacular one-touch move to his left to beat a UNBC defender, and then from just outside the penalty area, he chipped a perfect ball between two more defenders and past Logan Pierce to tie the game.
In the 37th minute, UNBC snagged their lead back after a terrific three-way passing sequence between Mehdi Bounaaja, Connor Lewis and the eventual goal scorer James Jordan. Bounaaja forced a pass up the middle to Lewis, who alertly spun his body around and found Bounaaja again. Bounaaja then snuck a spectacular pass through the Huskies defense to the open Jordan, who did the rest, converting on his first career goal.
The TWolves took that 2-1 lead into the break.
In the 64th minute the Huskies once again got on even terms when Ethan Cabral was awarded a penalty kick after a defensive tackle from Koss Nystedt inside the penalty area was deemed foul-worthy from the official. Cabral then placed a perfect ball just between the diving Pierce and his left post.
Luckily Steve Simonson's club had one more strike up their sleeve.
In the 70th minute, the TWolves sent a deep ball into the Huskies end of the pitch. Isaac Tate sprinted down the left-wing and kept the ball from going out of bounds beside the Huskies goal by launching a high lob to the far post. Connor Lewis anticipated the ball brilliantly and used perfect positioning to deflect a header just inside the post and the Huskies goalkeeper George Arnold. For Lewis it marked his second goal of the season.
In the 74th minute, the Huskies came oh so close to tying things up for a third time. But defender Luke Graham planted himself on the goal line and made a header save to keep things in favour of UNBC.
Despite the final shots-on-target tally reading 12-5 for Saskatchewan, the TWolves were more opportunistic on Sunday, and held on to earn their first victory of the season.
The TWolves will now return home to the friendly confines of Masich Place Stadium to battle the Trinity Western Spartans on both Saturday and Sunday next weekend.
The TWolves will now return home to the friendly confines of Masich Place Stadium to battle the Trinity Western Spartans on both Saturday and Sunday next weekend.
