Files from U of A Sports Information
EDMONTON - The University of British Columbia women's soccer team secured a berth into the CIS national championship thanks to 2-1 extra time win over the University of Alberta Pandas in the first semi-final game of the Canada West women's soccer championship at Foote Field in Edmonton.
Conference first team all-star
Lisa Furutani scored the match winning goal just 12 minutes into the first OT session for the T-Birds, while
Caitlin Davie scored in regulation time.
The win sends 'the Birds into the conference championship game, against the UFV Cascades, on Sunday afternoon at 11:00 a.m. Both UBC and UFV have already earned a spot at the national championship, November 11-14 at the University of Prince Edward Island, however, the conference gold medal and likely the higher seed at nationals is still on the line.
For the Pandas, it marks their third straight loss after a record-breaking season. It serves as a crushing loss for the hometown Pandas, who set a program record this season with a 12 game undefeated streak, as they racked up a 10-2-2 record to finish first in Canada West.
However, coming into the conference championship, Alberta had lost two straight games, suffering defeats to Trinity Western and UBC to close out the regular season at home.
On Saturday, both teams traded excellent chances throughout the game, and keepers Kelti Biggs of Alberta and
Meghan Best of UBC each made a handful of great saves.
Davie opened the scoring for UBC in the first half when she headed a corner kick from
Natalie Hirayama past Biggs, who was named the conference rookie of the year one night earlier.
Christina Le, the veteran Alberta striker, tied the score for the home side, taking advantage of a lucky bounce and slotting it past Best.
Keshia Wallin, named Canada West MVP at the banquet Friday night, cracked a hard-shot onto the UBC goal from 35-yards out, and it slipped off the finger tips of Best, onto the crossbar and fell down to the feet of Le, who easily put it away for the tie score.
In the second half both teams hit posts, and had close-calls, as the chances increased, but neither squad could find the game winner.
In overtime, Hirayama, a conference second team all-star this season, forced a turnover in the Alberta end before dishing to Furutani at the corner of the Alberta 18-yard box. The fourth-year midfielder slid into the ball and chipped it over Biggs for the game winner.
Needing to survive the second 15 minute overtime session, the 'Birds were more than content to simply pound the ball into the Alberta end for the entire 15 minutes, frustrating the Alberta offence at every turn.
UBC meet the upstart University of Fraser Valley Cascades, who are in their first Canada West playoffs in program history, for the conference championship on Sunday at 12:00 pm at Foote Field after they beat TWU 3-2 on penalty kicks.
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