The UNBC Timberwolves and Trinity Western Spartans traded chances for 90 minutes before each side had to settle for a hard-fought 0-0 draw Friday at Masich Place Stadium in Prince George.
The Spartans came out pressing offensively, keeping the Timberwolves on their heels and hemming the home side into their own half. TWU’s best opportunity came off the foot of Tristan Torresan in the eighth minute, but keeper Daniel Zadravec did well to turn it aside.
“We started, and we were a little lost. We didn’t do what we prepared in terms of pressing,” said UNBC first-year Hagon Kim. “But we got together, we talked a lot, and after the first fifteen minutes we did really well.”
Steve Simonson’s program woke up in the 20th minute, finding success using the speed of wingers Hagon Kim and Loic Benquet. Anthony Preston had a great look, as did Michael Henman, but nothing got past Trinity netminder Alexander Cordeiro.
“They work extremely hard. We knew that coming in,” said Cordeiro, postgame. “They are super disciplined and really well coached. It is never easy coming to Prince George and getting a result.”
At the half, the game remained scoreless, with UNBC holding an 8-5 advantage in shots.
In the second half, the Kim-Henman connection nearly struck as the freshman beat the TWU defender wide and left it for the veteran striker, but Henman didn’t get enough on it and it was swallowed up by Cordeiro.
Trinity showed life as the half progressed, as Christian Rossi, Soren Di Sabatino, and Torresan all tested the second-year starter Zadravec, but the Victoria product was up to the task.
Henman had a glorious chance in the 83rd minute when he was sent in on a partial breakaway, but Cordeiro did well to come out and get enough of the ball and the attacker to thwart the chance.
The Spartans did nearly break the deadlock in the 89th minute when Di Sabatino hit it from 20 years out, over the outstretched arms of Zadravec, but it hit the crossbar and was cleared by a Timberwolf defender.
When the referee blew the final whistle, it was a 0-0 draw, with both teams feeling like the deserved better.
“Disappointed, obviously. We wanted three points,” said Cordeiro. “Ties were our problem last year. We didn’t make playoffs because we tied six times. Overall, the effort was good, but we want to move on to Sunday and grab three points.”
The two sides will meet again on Sunday at noon at Masich Place Stadium, as the Timberwolves invite the community for Nats’ilnik Day.
“We could have had three points, if we finished some chances,” said Kim, postgame. “We deserved three points, but we have a game on Sunday. We had lots of fans tonight and I hope we see them again on Sunday.”
