
Despite the scoreboard, Brityn Hinsche was the story. The UBC Thunderbirds secured a 6-0 win over the UNBC Timberwolves on Saturday, October 7th, 2023, but it was the TWolves’ second-year keeper who will be talked about in the aftermath.
Fifteen saves, many of the highlight-reel variety, to set a new career-high for the Williams Lake product, who was incredibly brave and stellar playing behind a young TWolves side.
In the eighth minute, after a turnover by the Timberwolves at the top of their own box, it was the T-Birds getting on the board early. Ava Alexander was quick to hop on the loose ball as Brityn Hinsche had no choice but to rush the striker, but Alexander did well to slip it past the helpless keeper and make it 1-0.
14 minutes later, UBC would double their lead as the ball bounced around the TWolves box, with both sides looking to find it amidst a sea of legs and limbs. Eventually, it was Alexander locating it and poking it past Hinsche for her second of the game.
The young Timberwolves would battle the remainder of the half, led by midfielders Kjera Hayman and Sarah Lepine, who were particularly gritty in defending the UNBC end of the park.
It was Ella Nuttall-Smith stretched the lead early in ethe second half off another broken play in the box around Hinsche, gathering a bouncing attempt and depositing it to make it 3-0.
Hinsche was doing her part to keep UNBC in the game with an incredible stop in the 51st minute. After punching away a Sophie Damian cross, the Williams Lake keeper gathered herself in time to make a diving save on a Nisa Reehal attempt that looked labeled for the top corner.
Canada West First Team All-Star Katalin Tolnai would score a trio of late goals, adding to her conference-leading point total for Jesse Symons’ side as the Thunderbirds continued to apply pressure despite the growing deficit.
Eventually, the referee would blow the final whistle, with UBC earning a 6-0 victory, their tenth clean sheet of the season.
Hinsche was, again, her reliably stellar self in between the pipes, despite the glaring scoreboard. The second-year netminder made an unbelievable 15 stops, pushing her year total to 108 , the sixth-most saves in a single Canada West season.
UNBC will now return home and get set to complete the season hosting the UBCO Heat and TRU WolfPack next weekend.