Friday night on a rain-soaked field at Masich Place Stadium in Prince George, the UNBC Timberwolves (0-5-2) dropped a 6-2 decision to the visiting Calgary Dinos (3-1-2). Owen Antoniuk powered the Calgary attack with two goals while Joey Plenzik, Jacob Hunter, Soliman Aria and Milan Ponjevic also found the score sheet. At the other side, Luke Graham buried his second goal in as many games for the Green and Gold while Anton Zadonsky scored late in the second half to earn his first career Canada West goal. The UNBC goaltending tandem of Logan Pierce and Yanni Ntapas made 10 saves for UNBC while Calgary’s Haney Shafie had three in response for Calgary.
The visiting Dinos wasted little time in getting on the board as Joey Plenzik struck in the fourth minute of play off a header inside the penalty area. The header came as a result of a perfectly placed corner kick from James Greco-Taylor. It marked the second goal of the season for Plenzik.
Ramon Mifflin’s Calgary Dinos came into Friday’s game having only surrendered two goals against in their first five showings, and their side did a solid job at limiting Steve Simonson’s young squad offensively. The hustle and heart were evident as per usual with UNBC, but credit where credit is due to the opponents who did their job, and did it well defensively.
Calgary upped their lead to 2-0 in the 25th minute when a pair of Dinos swarmed Logan Pierce, forcing the UNBC keeper to give up the ball to Soliman Aria. One touch later the ball ended up on the boot of Owen Antoniuk who converted into the open net for his second Canada West tally of 2024.
Some spiffy passing from the Dinos in the 42nd minute resulted in the 3-0 goal as Jacob Hunter finished off a three-way passing sequence with a bomb from just outside the 18 off the right wing. Hunter’s second of the season was set up by Gianmarco Plenzik.
Shots at half were 4-1 favouring Calgary.
Looking to spark his squad, Steve Simonson made a trio of halftime substitutions, including in goal.
Logan Pierce, who has been superb for UNBC so far this season, was subbed out for Prince George’s Yanni Ntapas who took to the field for the first time in his Canada West career.
Ntapas was tested early, making two saves in the opening 12 minutes, but caught a bad break in the 58th when Soliman Aria’s shot from outside the 18 deflected off a Timberwolf and past him for 4-0.
Antoniuk then converted off a penalty kick in the 62nd minute to make it 5-0.
In the 71st minute, the TWolves found some life, and for the second game in a row it was rookie Luke Graham who provided the spark off a set-piece free-kick play. Isaac Tate placed a perfect corner kick into the penalty area, and in a scenario eerily reminiscent of his Saturday tally last week, Graham went skyward and headed the ball home for his team-leading second goal.
The TWolves weren’t done.
After Milan Ponjevic scored for Calgary in the 82nd minute to make it 6-1, second-year mid-fielder Anton Zadonsky stayed patient and pounced on a rebound that came as a result of a free-kick from Hagon Kim. Zadonsky’s first ever Canada West tally came in the 90th minute, rounding out the scoring for the night.
With an assist on the second UNBC goal and a consistent effort once again, Hagon Kim was named the Mr. Mike’s Player of the Game for UNBC.
Up next for UNBC – the finale of their six-game home stand which starts at 2:30 Sunday afternoon against the MacEwan Griffins.