Grayson B. Leahy, Heat Sports Information
KELOWNA, B.C. - The UBC Okanagan Heat women's side fell by a final score of 3-1 to the visiting University of Calgary Dinos at Nonis Field on Saturday afternoon. The Dinos received a pair of goals from Kelsie MacDonald to take down the home team.
MacDonald scored the only goal in the first half and then found the back of the net again nearly off the whistle to start the second half.
The first ten minutes of the second half saw the rest of the scoring, as in a span of five minutes shortly after the match resumed three goals were scored. McDonald's second Dinos goal came in the 49th, the first Heat goal was netted in the 50th, and Calgary regained their two-goal advantage in the 53rd. That was where the score would stay, as despite late pressure and a number of opportunities, the Heat were unable to chip away at the Dinos lead before the referee blew the whistle just under a minute into stoppage time to end the match.
The win puts the Dinos at (5-3-3) just a single point behind the Saskatchewan Huskies, who have already clinched a playoff spot and sit in second place in Canada West's Prairie Division, depending on the results from the Saskatchewan at Trinity Western matchup on Saturday night.
UBC Okanagan fall to (0-9-2) and will look to get in the victory column tomorrow continuing the home stand against Lethbridge.
Scoring Plays
The first goal of the match, and only one of the first half, was netted by Calgary's Kelsie MacDonald in the 22nd minute. Her first of the season, she managed to keep control in tight against Francesca Balletta and make a move around the sliding Heat keeper, before putting it into the bottom corner.
MacDonald earned her second goal of the season just a few minutes into the second half, as she put her team up 2-0 in the 49th minute. Dinos forward Montana Leonard put a long pass across the face of the goal, which Balletta dove to her right to try to intercept, but the ball ended up on MacDonald's foot well inside the box and a sharp angle shot from her found the bottom corner once again.
The Heat got on the board in the 50th, when third year defender Ally Ferronato netted her second goal of the season. On a free kick from just under 30 yards out and to the left of the goal, Ferronato got a square shot off that sailed over the wall, and was placed perfectly between the crossbar and Dinos keeper Tessa Ritchie's jumping save attempt.
The final goal of the match came courtesy of Calgary's leading scorer, fourth year forward Maddison Fritze, in the 53rd. A lead pass from MacDonald put Fritze behind the Heat defence, and maintaining control through strong challenges from Heat defenders and from a sliding Balletta, she was able to chip one through an opening and into the bottom corner. It was Fritze's sixth goal on the season, and MacDonald's third point of the day.
UBC Okanagan chances
Erica Lampert nearly dented the crossbar in the 39th, with a lazer of a shot from around 25 yards out.
A bouncing ball of an attempted clearance in the waning moments of the first half landed on Lauren Candelario's foot in a dangerous position, but she couldn't hit it solidly enough to trouble Ritchie.
Maddy Laranjo had a run late in the second half, streaking down the right side with position, but was uanable to keep her stride and switch to her strong foot, as she curled the ball into the outside of the net.
Keeper Stats
UBC Okanagan's Francesca Balletta saw the majority of the shots on goal in the Saturday afternoon matchup, making nine saves on 12 shots on goal. She was forced to make a pair of outstanding leaping saves, one in each half, and was otherwise calm and composed in collecting the peppering of shots from Calgary's offence.
On the other side of the pitch it was Tessa Ritchie in her first start and her first appearance for the Dinos this season. Facing six shots on goal she made five saves, including a pair in the final moments of the match as she turned away Erica Lampert in the 85th minute and Kacee Ougden in the 89th.
MVPs of the Match
As the lone scorer for the Heat in the match, netting just the sixth goal all season against the Dinos, Ally Ferronato was named the afternoon's MVP for UBC Okanagan.
With three points in the contest, on an assist and her first two goals of the season, Kelsie MacDonald was named the MVP of the day by the Calgary Dinos.
What's Next
The UBC Okanagan Heat (0-9-2) will take on the Lethbridge Pronghorns (4-5-2) at Nonis Field tomorrow, Sunday October 15, at 1 p.m. PDT.
The University of Calgary Dinos (5-3-3) will also play tomorrow, travelling to Kamloops to take on the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack (3-7-1) at 2 p.m. PDT.