UBC Okanagan Sam McDonald scored in the 71st minute to lift the Heat to a 1-0 win over Trinity Western Saturday at Chase Office Field.
In a game where the Heat outshot the Spartans 15-6 and had an 8-4 edge in shots on goals, it was the visitors breaking through in the second half to earn their fourth win of the season. UBCO is now 4-1-2 on the year, while TWU drops to 1-3-0.
McDonald capitalized on a rebound off the crossbar, which came off a Luke Warkentin shot, and headed the ball over a leaping Sebastian Colyn (Langley) to secure what would stand as the game-winner.
Colyn came up with a few key saves to keep the game scoreless, finishing with seven stops on the night, but it wasn’t quite enough on the day.
From there, TWU pressed for the equalizer, but came up empty, earning just one shot over the final 20 minutes.
The Spartans had an early chance off the foot of Jacob Low (Port Moody, B.C.), but he whipped his shot just wide of the target.
Colyn came up with back-to-back saves off Wyatt Gilbert, in the 19th and 20th minutes, to keep TWU in the game early on. With UBCO creating another opportunity in the 36th minute, once again Colyn kept the game scoreless with a stop on the Heat’s Jimmy Steel. Colyn finished with five saves in the first half, while the Heat goalie Nicholas Reitsma was forced to make just one stop before the break.
Spartans first-year Jake Ruby (North Vancouver, B.C.) had TWU’s best chance of the night when he cracked a shot from just inside the box in the 52nd minute, only to be stopped by Reitsma.
QUOTABLE
TWU Head Coach Mike Shearon
“It was okay at some points. I thought we eliminated most of their chances, except for a couple here and there, but they eliminated a couple of our chances here and there too. We have to learn how to play two nights in a row. You have to create an atmosphere when the atmosphere isn’t amazing (like it was last night). You’ve got to work hard and push the tempo when it’s not easy. UBCO has had a good season so far and we have to continue to work and push the games and get goals. Goals change games and we didn’t do that tonight and that’s the bottom line.”
