Friday night on a rain-soaked pitch in Langley, B.C. the UNBC Timberwolves fell 5-1 to the Trinity Western Spartans. Mansha Sidhu and Maddie Melnychuk each posted one goal and one assist for the hosts while Camryn Cline supplied the UNBC goal in the 24th minute of the first half.
Coming into action Friday, Brityn Hinsche held a one save lead on Winnipeg’s Camille Forbes (109-108), and in the second minute she added two more gems to her totals when she stopped Kylie Hendricks and Mansha Sidhu with athletic, airborne saves. Hinsche would finish the evening with eight more.
In the 11th minute, the Spartans cracked the scoresheet with Sidhu found some free space down the left wing and centered a crossing pass into the penalty area. From there, Maddie Melnychuk got there and snuck a low shot past the diving Hinsche for her first of the season.
Less than two minutes later, Melnychuk helped set up the Spartans’ second goal of the match when she found space down the right wing, and placed a crossing pass into the box where Payton Izsak was waiting to head the ball home.
Sidhu padded the Spartans’ lead to 3-0 in the 15th minute when her bending shot from the right wing corner of the penalty area snuck under the bar and in. Charity Field drew the assist.
Two minutes later, Emily Watchmen made it 4-0 when she pounced on a corner kick rebound. Field took the corner kick that resulted in the rebound.
Despite the deficit, the TWolves didn’t fade quietly.
Back came the TWolves with some momentum of their own off a free-kick from just outside the Trinity penalty area. In the 24th minute, Kjera Hayman bent a kick over the Spartan defensive wall. Spartans goalkeeper Yasmine Pahal had trouble corralling the slick ball and the rebound popped skyward. From there, fourth-year Camryn Cline got their first and deflected a header home for her first of the season! It also marked Cline’s first Canada West goal since September 18, 2022 which came against Alberta on the road. It also marked Hayman’s team-leading third assist.
Four minutes later, Scarlet Thomas got a shot on the Trinity Western target as the possession balance started to feel a little more even.
Celeste Kirkness and Kate Rattee nearly combined on a late goal for the TWolves in the early seconds of stoppage time. Kirkness won a race for the ball down the right wing, before it rolled out of bounds and centered a pass to the goalmouth area. Kate Rattee got there, but Pahal gobbled up the cross before Rattee could get her foot on it.
At half, the shots on target reflected 9-3 for Trinity Western, and a 4-1 score.
The dreary weather, coupled with the three-goal score meant that the first 25 minutes of the second half were devoid of high-quality offense. Neil Sedgwick’s club did well to defend the middle of the pitch and the crossing pass efforts from the Spartans.
In the 77th minute, a memorable moment for first-year Abigayle Bradley, who subbed into the match for UNBC. Bradley, a Langley native, received some audible applause from her friends and family that were there in support. Fellow first-year Keeley Read also hails from Langley and started the match for UNBC.
A late marker from Caitlin Cooper extended the Spartan lead to 5-1 in the 87th minute, which capped the scoring on Friday for both sides.
The final shots were 13-4 for the home side.
With the win, Trinity Western improves to 8-3-2 while the TWolves now sit at 1-12-0. UNBC will wrap up their 2024 regular season on Sunday at 10:30 am against the University of Fraser Valley Cascades.