VICTORIA – UBC Thunderbirds goal keeper
Jaclyn Dunnett held the UVic Vikes scoreless for the second team this season, picking up the shutout in a 1-0 win at Centennial Stadium. The clean sheet moved Dunnett into a tie atop the Canada West leaderboard with seven on the season.
The win moved UBC within striking distance of Victoria for second in the conference, they are now just two points back with 25 compared to the Vikes 27, with Trinity Western already assured top spot and the right to host the Canada West Final Four next weekend. Alberta will join the three BC schools in Langley next weekend after their 2-1 win over Saskatchewan combined with Manitoba's 2-1 loss to Calgary confirmed the top four teams in the conference.
Although the top four may be set in stone, there is nothing concrete about the CW semi-final match ups. The T-Birds do control their own fate, however, as a win or a tie tomorrow by the T-Birds against Fraser Valley earns them at least third and a semi-final date against the Vikes.
A UBC win combined with a UVic loss or tie against TWU gives the T-Birds second as they hold the head-to-head tiebreak over their island rivals, however, they would still play Victoria in the CW semi-final. A UBC loss combined with an Alberta win over Saskatchewan would see the T-Birds drop to fourth and play the first-place Spartans.
The T-Birds hit the woodwork three times in Saturday's match but it was
Natalie Hirayama who was able to break the deadlock in the 39th minute.
Two minutes later Vikes' midfielder Natasha Walbaum was brought down in the box and Kendra Flock stepped up to the spot to draw the score level. But Dunnett's diving save denied Canada West's top scorer and kept the T-Birds in the lead.
"UBC are one of our biggest rivals so it's always a close game," Vikes head coach Tracy David said after the match. "Dunnett has been part of the national program for quite some time and she stepped up big on that penalty."
The Vikes came close early in the second half as Flock's free kick caused a skirmish in the T-Birds' box with Walbaum eventually shooting just wide.
UVic keeper Stephanie Parker and Dunnett each made six saves but the T-Birds outshot the Vikes 25-10 by the final whistle.
The T-Birds travel to Abbotsford to take on the UFV Cascades on Sunday while the Vikes host the Spartans. Both games are scheduled for 12 noon kick-offs.
