VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds women's soccer team defeated the UNBC Timberwolves 1-0 to win, completing the sweep of their weekend series at home. The Thunderbirds are now 4-1-0 in Canada West league play.
 
On her 13th shot towards the opposition net, third-year forward Jasmin Dhanda (Surrey, B.C.) sailed the game's only goal past UNBC's Jordan Hall in net. Dhanda received a pass from wide, turned and fired, this time finding the back of the net from outside the penalty area. Hall robbed Dhanda of every other chance she had during the game, except for this rocket to the bottom left of the goal in the last five minutes of regulation.
 
"It was pretty frustrating during the game, getting all those shots," Dhanda said. "I just kept going and knew it was coming, and it was pretty exciting to finish that goal off, especially in the last few minutes of the game."
 
This is Dhanda's second goal of the season, and she's hoping to increase her points next weekend as the 'Birds hit the road.
 
In a game defined by defence, UNBC stood out, and none taller than goaltender Hall. She stopped 12 shots on goal in a tense 90 minutes where she had to be on her toes at almost every moment. The action started quickly and didn't stop until the final whistle. Fifth-year Taylor Shannik (Delta, B.C.) stole the ball right back after kick off and nearly scored but for a diving save by the Timberwolves goalie.
 
Shannik's rush and early pressure on UNBC set the tone for the match, with UBC dominating possession time and earning an impressive 13-0 advantage in shots on net. The Thunderbirds directed 32 shots in all towards the Timberwolves goal while the visitors didn't manage to send one attempt towards the UBC goal, tended by Olivia de Goede (Victoria, B.C.), who earned her third regular season win, all via the clean sheet.
 
If it hadn't been for the Timberwolves' defensive acumen, the score would have been far more lop-sided. Hall stood on her head making great saves, diving under oncoming UBC cleats to smother the ball, leaping horizontal to cover the corners, and challenging Thunderbirds inside the 12' to keep her team alive.
 
"In the first half we struggled," said Dhanda. "We just kept playing to the middle because they were compact in the back and the second half we actually got the ball wide more and that's how we got more chances in front of the net. UNBC did a good job holding us up."
 
Dhanda's goal in the last few minutes swelled the Thunderbirds' conference record to 4-1-0; a healthy win count going into a two-game road trip.
 

Got the W tonight--found a way in the 86th minute off the foot of Jasmin Dhanda. This 1-0 victory brings us to 6-1-1 on the season. @ubctbirds #ThunderbirdFamily

A photo posted by UBC Women's Soccer (@ubc_womens_soccer) on Sep 19, 2015 at 10:19pm PDT

UBC head coach Marisa Kovacs was glad for the win, but wasn't quite ready to celebrate yet.
 
"I'm not going to lie, it wasn't the prettiest," she said, following the match. "They were well-organized and it was hard to break them down, but in the end we found a way even if it was in the 86th minute. You only need one."
 
Kovacs was impressed the most with the team's perseverance. "They were super organized defensively and we just kept our passes up and kept moving for each other," she said. "Eventually good things happened and we found the back of the net."
 
The Thunderbirds will hit the road, traveling to play UBC Okanagan and Thompson Rivers next weekend.
 
UNBC will return home to host two games, against Trinity Western and Fraser Valley, next weekend.