T-wolves looking to build on season-opening draw
Tuesday was the first test and the UNBC Timberwolves men’s soccer team earned a passing grade.
In their season-opener on the turf of the new-and-improved Masich Place Stadium, the T-wolves owned the ball longer than the Victoria Vikes, outshot them 15-9, but had to settle for a 1-1 tie.
One point out of a possible three? Not bad. Certainly room for improvement.
“They came in with a pretty clear gameplan – they gave up (multiple) goals in their first two games and made sure they didn’t do that,” said Timberwolves head coach Steve Simonson.
“They were very stingy defensively and worked hard and stayed compact at the back and really didn’t give us any chances to manoeuvre high up the park. We scored one early (from Owen Stewart) and they just battened down the hatches. They made life very difficult for us.”
The T-wolves’ season was a week late getting started due to wildfire smoke which forced postponement of their two-game set with Victoria, Aug. 24-25. Simonson said his team probably deserved a better fate against a Victoria team that was outscored 11-1 in its first two games.
“Overall we were the team that was in possession and a lot of that is what you do with that and their tactic was win the game without being the team in possession,” he said. “I learned we’re a good team that can play against these teams and dominate possession and we got in the really good areas to create but didn’t have the final product on the day, partly from their own undoing and partly from their quality defensively.
“We were very dominant and controlled the vast majority of the second half, but just couldn’t find the goal we needed.”
The T-wolves (0-0-1) will find out how much better they can be tonight at Masich (6 p.m. start) when the Trinity Western Spartans (1-1-1) come calling. They’ll have to be wary of a Spartans team that thrashed Victoria 7-1 last weekend on home field in Abbotsford. TWU scored seven goals on nine shots in that game.
“We’ve played them many times and I know their shape, know their players, know their coach (Mike Shearon) and it will be a good matchup,” predicted Simonson. “We had two draws with them last year, one was a bit cagey, 0-0, the other was a bit more open, 2-2. We played them (in spring exhibition games). They’re familiar with us, we’re familiar with them and I think it will be a good game of soccer. I think we fit each other well.”
Sandwiched around their blowout win over Victoria, the Spartans started the season with a 1-1 draw with UBC Okanagan and in their most recent game Sunday at UBC lost 3-0 to the Thunderbirds.
“Everything they touched against Victoria went in and we know if they’re playing well they have the ability to bury teams, so we have to be on our best,” said Simonson. “We’re not interested in just trying to defend and just squeak out wins, we want to try and play and build our program to a team that can dominate games and build our program and be up there with the best.”
A crowd of about 500 turned out to watch UNBC play its first home game in the revamped stadium.
“(The players) enjoyed the surface and the facility and it was quite nice to see a crowd out there, made for a fun environment that night,” said Simonson. “I think if we had rewarded them with another goal the fans would have loved it but there was definitely lots to watch and it was an entertaining spectacle for sure.”
The Spartans and T-wolves play again Saturday night at Masich.
• Saturday afternoon at 1 in Kelowna the UNBC women kick off their season against the UBC Okanagan Heat. The T-wolves will be in Kamloops Sunday afternoon to play the Thompson Rivers University WolfPack.