Friday night in Kelowna, the UNBC Timberwolves (1-6-0) dropped a 3-1 decision to the UNBC Okanagan Heat (4-3-1). Eleni Georgacacos paced the Heat with a goal and two assists, all in the first half, while Ainsley Kirk and Alyssa Scott also found the back of the net. The TWolves got their goal in the 58
th minute from veteran
Claire Turner – her team-leading third. Between the pipes,
Brityn Hinsche made six saves – her first of which was #200 for her incredible Canada West career.
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The Heat wasted little time in getting on the board as first-year defender Ainsley Kirk, who was suiting up for her first ever Canada West game, found the back of the net in the fifth minute off a scramble in front of the UNBC net. Georgacacos had the assist on the play.
Almost exactly four minutes after the opening goal, Hinsche arrived at the 200 save mark for her (already) incredible Canada West career when she made a wonderful point-blank save off Alyssa Scott. The Williams Lake product joins Jordan Hall and Brooke Molby as the only keepers in UNBC history to surpass the 200-save mark in Canada West play.
Hinsche added two more saves to her totals in the ensuing minutes, but the Heat's persistence paid off with a pair of goals one minute and 13 seconds apart. First it was Georgacacos who solved Hinsche for her second of the season in the 27
th minute. Then Scott supplied her third of the season in minute 28, with Gerogacacos drawing the helper, staking the Heat to a 3-0 advantage.
Another special moment late in the first half for UNBC as first-year midfielder
Aimee Glasser took to the pitch for her first career Canada West appearance. It was no doubt a thrill for Glasser, who grew up 45 minutes down the road in Vernon, to take to the pitch in the Okanagan with friends and family in the stands.
If there were any nerves, they sure weren't obvious, as Glasser's speed, smarts and confidence were evident from the jump. Her arrival onto the field sent a jolt of energy into the whole group, and that same energy carried into the second half.
Glasser's impressive debut resulted in her being named the TWolves Mr. Mike's Player of the Game.
The best look for UNBC in the first half came shortly thereafter as
Kjera Hayman, from the right wing, placed an excellent cross to the far post. Second-year midfielder
Fia Cameron did well to get her head on the ball, but it sailed wide of the UBCO target.
The score at half remained 3-0 for UBCO who held an 8-1 edge in shots.
Neil Sedgwick made two more subs at half as he elected to put
Abigayle Bradley and
Camryn Cline into the game in place of
Maresha Manulak and
Fia Cameron.
The TWolves, to their credit, began the second-half with noticeable pace and energy, and those efforts would be rewarded in the 58
th minute.
Blake Plummer, who scored their first career Canada West goal two weeks ago at home against UBCO, got the play started with a flawless free-kick cross from the right-wing. Plummer's cross had the perfect height and pace to it, and found its way perfectly to the head of
Claire Turner.
From there, the fifth-year veteran from Fort St. John cleanly deflected Plummer's pass home for her team-leading third of the season. That goal also pushed Turner into the top five in program goal scoring, joining the likes of Paige Payne, Sidney Roy, Sofia Jones and Sydney Hall.
Positive momentum for Neil Sedgwick's club continued after the 3-1 tally, but despite a much better half territorially, the TWolves were unable to solve the Heat again, and the game ended in a 3-1 victory for the hosts.
Up next for UNBC - A trip to Kamloops for a 5:00 pm showdown with TRU tomorrow.
