Box Score On Sunday afternoon in front of their home fans at Masich Place Stadium, the UNBC Timberwolves fell 5-0 to the visiting UBC Thunderbirds. Despite facing relentless pressure from a potent UBC attack, the Timberwolves battled to the final whistle, with Maresha Manulak earning Mr. Mikes Player of the Game honors for her tireless work generating offense in the midfield. UBC goals received two goals apiece from Maddy Norman and Sophia Ferreira, and a single in the second half from Sabrina Carreira. 

The match began with the Thunderbirds pressing high. UBC found the back of the net early with Norman's first, but UNBC goalkeeper Johanna Rathke quickly put on a show to keep her team in the fight. In the sixth minute, Rathke made a spectacular diving save to the bottom right to deny a dangerous cross, and moments later, she reacted brilliantly to deflect another strike up off the post. 

UBC extended their lead to 3-0 thanks to a brace from Ferreira. Both goals came off successful corner kicks.

But the home side did not quit. Grace Barrett was a sparkplug on the left wing, stealing the ball and making multiple aggressive runs upfield to put the UBC defense on its heels. Aimee Glasser also navigated through traffic with a fantastic run of her own before being fouled to halt her momentum. Rathke stood tall under heavy fire, racking up 11 saves before the halftime whistle.

In the second half, the Timberwolves came out with renewed intensity, pressing the ball to successfully disrupt UBC's rhythm. Manulak took charge of the UNBC attack, carrying the ball deep into Thunderbird territory in the 51st minute and sending a dangerous cross into the box that just missed a finishing touch. Shortly after, Manulak tested the UBC goalkeeper with a shot on target.

On the defensive end, Fia Cameron anchored the backline, making crucial interventions inside the penalty area to clear away danger. Rathke continued her stellar play with another highlight diving save in the 60th minute. The Thunderbirds eventually added two more goals (Carreira *66 and Norman *86) to complete the scoring, but the Timberwolves matched their physicality, and kept their intensity strong through the final whistle.

The Timberwolves will look to bounce back and secure a result on the road when they travel to Abbotsford to face the UFV Cascades on Friday, September 18. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 PM.