Grayson B. Leahy, Heat Sports Information
KELOWNA, B.C. – The UBC Okanagan Heat women's soccer team closed out their season with an undefeated weekend, playing to a scoreless draw against the University of Northern British Columbia Timberwolves on Sunday afternoon at Nonis Field.
With few legitimate scoring chances in the match, and nothing on the line for either side once the Thompson Rivers – MacEwan score was finalized, the final game of the Canada West regular season was a relatively calm Seniors Day affair at UBC Okanagan.
Francesca Balletta earned her third straight clean sheet in the match and graduating centre-back Emma Nelsen was named the UBC Okanagan player of the match. For UNBC it was fourth year midfielder Madison Emmond earning MVP for her squad.
Prior to the matchup, Heat graduating players Lauren Candelario, Emma Nelsen, Andrea Stinson, and Brittany Wheeler were honoured in the annual Seniors Day ceremony that accompanies the final game of every Heat athletic regular season.
With UNBC advancing to the postseason for the first time ever in their Canada West history their graduating players will continue for at least one more match this Friday at Victoria. Five T'wolves will finish their career when UNBC finish their playoff run, they are: Tianna Rossi, Tianna Pius, Sydney Roy, Rhianne Ferdinandi, Fiona Raymond.
Scoring Chances:
There were three shots on goal combined between the two teams on Sunday, with one for the Heat and a pair for the Timberwolves, out of a total five shots apiece recorded in the matchup.
The opening salvos came early on, as Tianna Pius put a shot for the Timberwolves wide left in the 8th minute and Lindsey Berthelsen got a head on a ball for the Heat that also went wide left.
Francesca Balletta was able to turn away the next chance for the Timberwolves, again from Pius, who put one on in the 22nd. Sidney Roy also had a go at the Heat net, but was turned away by a diving Balletta right at the 41-minute mark. Pius closed out the half with another opportunity, but once again put it wide left.
Susan Traynor nearly put the Heat ahead in the 51st minute, with a well-placed header that had Madi Doyle made her lone stop of the night. Kylee walker followed just under a minute later with a drive that went wide right.
Brittany Wheeler provided the final opportunity of the match for the Heat to break the deadlock, but her perfectly-placed corner kick in injury time found a scrum in front of the net that was won by the Timberwolves defenders.
The Keepers
UBC Okanagan keeper Balletta finished the season strong earned her third consecutive clean sheet in the match, her last goal allowed was against an impressive and playoff-bound Calgary Dinos side back on October 14th. It was the fourth year keeper's fourth shutout in her career in 19 career starts.
Madi Doyle was in net for UNBC on Sunday, finishing out her regular season with her second shutout of the season. She faced five shots, stopping the only recorded shot on goal early in the second half.
Graduating Heat Players:
Lauren Candelario
Lauren is the rare player that did not come to UBC Okanagan for the Heat. Hawaiian-born-and-raised, Candelario graduated from Punahou School in Honolulu and will depart UBCO this spring with her degree in Management.
2015-16 was Lauren's, known as Lo to her teammates, first season where she played in 10 matches, even earning a start as a freshman.
Last year Lauren continued to see a ton of playing time, and scored twice. Her first career goal was in Calgary against a nationally-ranked Dinos squad.
Her second goal was even more exciting; Lo scored a late-game winner in Kamloops to take the match over local Valley rival TRU.
In her three-year career at UBC Okanagan Candelario has made 13 starts and played in 30 matches.
Emma Nelsen
Starting as a midfielder for the Heat Emma Nelsen, a graduate of North Vancouver's Handsworth Secondary, switched to centre-back for UBC Okanagan halfway through her university career.
A soon-to-be graduate of the Management program, Emma will also partake in UBC's Go Global program this January when she heads of to Denmark for a semester.
Emma has been something of an Iron Man for her Heat women's squad, having played in UBCO's last 53 straight matches, starting in 50 of them. She has only missed one match in her entire Heat career, as September 7, 2014 was the last time Emma was unable to answer the bell for her team.
Although Emma will call her career after four seasons after she played both days this weekend, Nelsen's 53 matches played will rank tied for sixth on the school's all-time list.
Andrea Stinson
Transferring from the University of Calgary for her fourth and fifth years, Andrea Stinson finishes her Canada West soccer career with UBC Okanagan and will graduate with a degree in Human Kinetics.
All of the action happens at the feet of this diminutive midfielder from Nelson, BC. – a L.V. Rodgers grad - who has been the on-field leader for the Heat team every minute she has been on the pitch.
In just two seasons, Stinson has played and started in 26 matches, and her first and only goal for UBC Okanagan happened this September in Regina. With the Heat down 2-1 and well into extra time Stinson worked furiously to create chances, finally volleying in the equalizer just before the final whistle.
In each of her years here, when asking the coaches who their key player for the season would be, Stinson was hailed as that player.
Brittany Wheeler
Brittany Wheeler, like Stinson, is from Nelson and a graduate of L.V. Rogers Secondary, and also like Stinson transferred to UBC Okanagan from another Canada West school. Wheeler, however, came to the Heat from the University of Lethbridge and has been a fixture on the pitch for the Heat in the three seasons that she has donned the 'Blue and Gold'.
Wheeler is set to graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree, Majoring in Zoology this spring.
On the field Wheeler has been a solid defender for the past three seasons and has played in 35 matches, tallying two career assists.
What's Next:
The UBC Okanagan Heat (2-9-3) will see their season come to an end after this match, and will be looking on to next season.
For the UNBC Timberwolves (3-7-4), next up will one of the Canada West play-in matchups on Friday, October 27. They will be on the road as the sixth seed out of the Pacific Division, travelling to Victoria to take on the Vikes (9-1-4), the Pacific Division's second seed.