PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – It took until the final 35 minutes of the game, but the UBC Thunderbirds eventually broke through with a flurry of goals to record a 3-0 victory at Masich Place Stadium in Prince George. 

UNBC Timberwolves goalkeeper Johanna Rathke put forth an absolutely heroic performance to keep her side in it for much of the night.

Already sat atop Canada West with 42 saves — 24 clear of the next closest keeper —she showed exactly why. The German rookie turned aside all 11 shots she faced in the opening half, frustrating the two-time defending champions.



Despite that, the T-Birds continued to dictate the tempo throughout, and keeping calm and sticking with their gameplan bore fruit in the 55th minute, in the form of a penalty awarded for the visitors. Ella Sunde stepped up to take it and coolly buried the ball into the right side of the goal. The veteran fullback has emerged as a newfound goal-threat through the first five games of the year, and has scored three times – already equalling her season-high total.

UBC then doubled their advantage in the 66th minute when rookie Celina Sieber Espidio nabbed her first career Canada West goal. After a goalmouth scramble with a series of blocked shot attempts, her effort deflected off a Timberwolf defender and in.



The blue and gold put the result beyond doubt in the 79th, when after the Thunderbirds forced a turnover in the UNBC side of the pitch, Holly Whelan muscled her way past a pair of defenders and tucked a low strike into the corner past the outstretched Rathke.

When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard read 3–0 in favour of the Thunderbirds, who outshot the Timberwolves 23-2 on the night. The two sides will meet again on Sunday at noon, with Masich Place Stadium once again playing host to the rematch.