Looking to add more dramatic results to their already improbable season, the UNBC women's soccer club faced their biggest task of the year against UBC on Sunday (Oct. 26).
But it would be the end of the line, and even though they aren't moving forward, the future of UNBC women's soccer looks bright.
To even get to the Canada West playoffs, the women needed to beat the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack on Oct. 16, in which they came out with a 2-0 win thanks to stellar goalkeeping from Brooke Molby That win kept their playoff hopes alive.
Oct. 21, they would need a win against the UBC Okanagan Heat. A draw or loss would not push UNBC through. They left it until the last minute, scoring in the second half and came out with a 1-0 win, which sent them to the post-season.
The ladies would then defeat the Manitoba Bisons in the first round, which was their first Canada West playoff win in program history.
In the only regular season matchup between UNBC and UBC, the Thunderbirds crushed UNBC 7-0 at Masich Place Stadium. This time around, the loss wasn't as lopsided, but a 3-1 defeat.
At the final whistle, @ubctbirds top our @UNBCWSoccer 3-1. But what a season. And what a team. Proud of this bunch. pic.twitter.com/deQe92ZDO6
— UNBC Athletics (@UNBCATHLETICS) October 28, 2018
The University of British Columbia was able to clinch the win with two first-half goals as well as a late penalty shot in Vancouver at Thunderbird Stadium.
In the first half, UBC kept pressure on the Timberwolves, which led to a goal in the 13th minute when defender Emma Peckinpaugh would take the set piece for the home side and played an excellent ball to Margaret Hadley, who would turn and put into the air for Danielle Steer, who would put home the header past Molby.
Only three minutes later, UBC would double their lead when Amelia Crawford would get by UNBC defender Julia Babicz, then fired a left-footed screamer from 20 yards out past Molby for a 2-0 lead.
That scoreline would hold after the first 45.
In the second half, the Timberwolves would come back out with vengeance. Mara McCleary played a ball over to the left wing to Kylie Erb, who used her speed to find Paige Payne at the top of the box. Payne went past the defender marking her and was taken down and was instantly awarded a penalty.
Payne stepped up calmly and put scored low to bring UNBC within one in the 55th minute.
She would once again have another opportunity to level the match after winning a battle with UBC's Emma Kallner and went on a partial break and chopped a shot from 20 yards out that would go off of her glove and hit the crossbar.
UBC would seal the win in the 88th minute when substitute Michelle Jang went up for a header, along with a Timberwolves defender who would take her down in the box and Jang was awarded a penalty. She would capitalize to put the Thunderbirds up by two in the final minutes.
