VANCOUVER, B.C. - UBC Thunderbirds wrapped up first place in the Canada West Pacific Division with another emphatic 6-0 victory over the visiting UNBC Timberwolves at Thunderbird Stadium on Saturday evening.
The number one ranked team in the country got off to another fast start, but had to settle for just a two goal lead at the half thanks to an
Ava Alexander double, after some resolute UNBC defending, but UBC took it up a gear in the second, with
Katalin Tolnai scoring hat-tricks in back-to-back games and
Ella Nuttall-Smith also getting on the scoreboard.
UBC head coach
Jesse Symons was able to rotate seven players out of his starting line-up from the team that were dominant in a 6-0 win over the Timberwolves on Friday, but those called upon put on another clinical performance from the first whistle, racking up 43 shots in total, 24 of them on target.
"Our objective was to win the division tonight and the players came out with great energy and excitement to get after it," Symons said after the match. "It was great to see Ava score early to get us on our way. I thought there was a bit of a lull through the first half but the second half was exceptional. The team came out ready and hungry to go. To see Kat score another hat-trick, two days in a row, was pretty impressive."
Ella Sunde nearly opened the scoring two minutes in for UBC, but Maleah Fernie came up with a huge block to turn the goalbound effort away.
The Thunderbirds weren't to be denied, however, and they broke the deadlock six minutes later, this time benefitting on a Fernie mistake. The Timberwolves centre back didn't get enough on an attempted passback to goalkeeper Brityn Hinsche and Alexander showed quick anticipation to pounce on the ball and fire home the opener.
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It was Alexander's first of the season and she soon doubled her, and her team's tally, in the 22
nd minute. The Timberwolves failed to clear the danger from a corner and as Nuttall-Smith's shot bounced through a pile of bodies, it fell perfectly to Alexander in the six yard box to tuck it away.
Kalista Kirkness came up with a big goalline clearance for the Timberwolves in the 27
th minute after Tolnai played in
Nisa Reehal, whose shot got under Hinsche but couldn't find it's way to the back of the net thanks to Kirkness' intervention.
Hinsche pulled off a couple of big saves for UNBC to keep the home side from adding to their tally in the first half, denying
Sophie Damian on a couple of occasions.
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UBC kept up their relentless pressure in the second half and added a third just three minutes in.
Dani Mosher's corner was headed into the six yard box by Tolnai for Nuttall-Smith to grab her second of the season.
The Thunderbirds weren't letting up and Hinsche produced a stunning acrobatic save to deny Reehal, before Holly Wheelan crashed a 20-yard effort off the right post.
It was no surprise when UBC made it four on the hour mark, with Tolnai heading home
Vanessa Tome's pinpoint cross. By the 71
st minute, she had her second straight hat-trick, hitting two goals in the space of 52 seconds, the first a finish after some great work and an assist from Damian, and the second running onto a long ball forward from
Sarah Rollins to chip it over the onrushing Hinsche.
Tonlnai nearly grabbed a fourth in the 79
th minute when she just failed to get a clear shot on a Hinsche spill, but the Timberwolves keeper produced another couple of great saves to keep UBC at bay as best as she could in the final 10 minutes.
Hinsche finished the match with 15 saves, while the Thunderbirds registered a 10
th clean sheet of the year from their 12 matches so far, as they continue their dominance at both ends of the pitch.
"Defensively, we kept them in their half for most of the game today like yesterday," Symons said. "The personality to want to press and to keep them there was really good. The work ethic was impressive and I was really happy with the attitude of the team throughout the game today."
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UBC now move on to an 11-1 record at the top of the Canada West standings. They'll close out their regular season with a pair of home matches against Thompson Rivers Wolfpack and the UBC Okanagan Heat next weekend, the first of those coming on Friday evening with a THUNDERSTRUCK double header. The Women's and Men's Soccer Festival kicks off at 5pm.
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Winless UNBC Timberwolves, who are now scoreless in eight straight matches, drop to a 0-11-1 record and will return home to Prince George to close out their season with a pair of games next weekend, the first of which comes against the UBCO Heat on Friday evening.
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