14 October 20, 2010 + Over the Edge Both T-Wolf Soccer Teams Play Final Home Games Both the men’s and women’s teams face off against foreign opponents. UNBC is all but guaranteed a playoff berth BROCK CAMPBELL SPORTS EDITOR The mens and womens soccer teams played their final home games of the season this weekend, as part of a four game home-stand, at Prince George Rotary Park. UNBC hosted the Capilano Blues on Saturday, and the Langara Falcons on Sunday. Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack (TRU) and UBC-Okanagan Heat (UBC-O) visited PG the weekend before last. The women T-Wolves began their home-stand looking for their first win of the season. Although they were not able to pull off a victory, UNBC collected a point in a 2-2 tie with Langara. Held scoreless in their games against TRU and UBC-O, the T-Wolves rebounded the next weekend with two goals on the Falcons. Lyndsey Brain opened the scoring for UNBC and Heather King, the team’s leading scorer, netted her fourth goal of the season. The T-Wolves had several good opportunities to take the lead in the second half, including a chance by Julie Martin, in which she railed off the cross-bar. T-Wolves Head Coach Mato Mikic was pleased with his team’s performance against one of the more talented teams playing in the BCCAA, noting that “[they] played well and deserved the full three points having created a lot of chances near the end”. Unfortunately, UNBC could not capitalize and the game ended in a draw. The women’s team will carry the momentum with them as they head south to battle TRU and UBC-O in the final regular season games. While playing at home the UNBC men’s team earned 7 of a possible twelve points. UNBC gained a point against division rival TRU in a 1-1 draw. Kellen Strobl scored the T-Wolves lone goal, chipping in a loose ball past the Wolfpack goaltender. Kyle Flanagan, UNBC’s net-minder was the difference, however, as he turned away several good TRU opportunities in the second half maintaining the tie for his team. Against UBC-O, the T-Wolves guaranteed 3 points with a 2-1 victory over their division rival. Veteran players Sean Glanville, a fifth-year player out of Williams Lake, and fourth-year transfer Scott Westberg, each buried a goal for UNBC. Flanagan noted the importance of beating the Heat, saying, “with them being so close behind us in the standings, the win allows us to hold onto our playoff berth.” In the second weekend of action at Rotary Park, the men’s team lost 4-2 to the Blues on Saturday but regrouped Sunday to beat Langara 3-1. Down 2-1 in the second half against Capilano, UNBC tied it up with a beautiful strike, well outside of the penalty area, by Scott Debianchi, worthy of the ‘footy show’s’ top 5. Unfortunately, the equalizer was nullified by Capilano, who capitalized twice on a couple of defensive breakdowns by UNBC. Against Langara, the T-Wolves took a commanding 3-0 lead into half-time with goals by Tyson Williams, Rakan Alquwayfili, and Sean Glanville. The win gave UNBC 16 points in the BCCAA standings and a 12 point lead over its next closest opponent, UBC-O. The T-Wolves require only two more points to clinch the final playoff spot available in the Group A standings, which they can achieve with a win against TRU or UBC-O in their final regular season games. A Heat loss or tie in any of their three remainder games will also clinch a playoff spot for UNBC. With UBC-O having won only one game all season, UNBC is all but guaranteed a playoff berth. Hosted by Kwantlen University the playoffs begin on 29 October in Surrey. T-Wolves Hit the Road to Prepare for Regular Season Local volleyball game leaves many asking why UNBC doesn’t have its own team BROCK CAMPBELL SPORTS EDITOR In preparation for the 2010/2011 season UNBC’s basketball teams have logged some serious road time in October. The men and women teams travelled together last weekend to Red Deer for the Royalty Classic to play their final pre-season games. The women’s team faced SAIT on Thursday, Red Deer College Friday, and Medicine Hat Saturday. As for the men they played the host team Thursday, before their matchup with NAIT Friday, and Augustana on Saturday. The men’s team began October touring the lower mainland to take on BCCAA counterparts Quest and Kwantlen, and CWUAA (CIS western division) power-house University of Fraser Valley. In scrimmages against Quest, UNBC defeated the Kermodes 5-0. Against Kwantlen the T-Wolves won 96-87, with four players scoring in double figures. Matt Mills and Dennis Stark both poured in twenty, Inderbir Gill had 17 and Francis Rowe also scored 17 while shooting 50% from behind the arc. The following night Fraser Valley beat UNBC by only five points in an 84- 79 defeat. Gill was the main contributor tallying a double-double with twenty-eight points and ten rebounds. The following weekend the Grand Prairie Wolves visited the Northern Sports Centre for the only pre-season home game for the men’s team. UNBC was in control all night, leading by twenty after the first quarter and eventually crushing Grand Prairie 127-91. The T-wolves displayed a balanced attack finishing the game with eight players scoring ten or more points. Last weekend’s tournament in Red Deer was the second visit to Alberta in as many weeks for the women T-Wolves, who previously travelled to Calgary the weekend before. UNBC went 2-1 in Calgary, suffering its only loss in a nail-biter with SAIT. In their first game against Mount Royal UNBC squeezed by the Cougars with a 59-56 win. Christine Kennedy led all scorers taking player of the game honors with sixteen points, and going 8 for 9 from the free-throw line. In their loss to SAIT, despite outscoring the Trojans 13-8 in the fourth quarter, UNBC could not overcome a six point deficit losing 66-65.Christine Kennedy and Mercedes Vankoughnett both scored fourteen points for the T-Wolves. Lethbridge, the women’s final match-up, trailed UNBC by two points at half-time before the T-Wolves pulled away, outscoring the Kodiaks 22-10 in the third, en-route to an 83- 62 victory. In Red Deer the men’s team beat the hosts 82- 63 but lost to NAIT, last year’s ACAC champs, 85-96. UNBC ended the tournament defeating Augustana 95-63. The women’s team went 1-2, losing to SAIT, also last year’s champs, 108-65. They rebounded the following night defeating Red Deer College 68-60 before falling to Medicine Hat 73-57. Before their first home games on Nov. 19, the T-Wolves continue action on the road as they begin their regular season visiting Douglas College Nov.5, and Langara the next weekend. SHELBY PETERSEN ‘The Men's team takes on Grand Prairie during their last home exhibition game on October 8.