Up-and-down first weekend for women’s soccer

The UBC Okanagan Heat women’s soccer team started the season on an exciting and successful note.

The Heat’s Courtney Hemmerling scored in the final five minutes Saturday in Lethbridge as UBCO won 2-1 to spoil the Pronghorns’ Canada West season and home opener.

Cassie Bratton also scored for the Heat, while Nikki Furukawa replied for the Pronghorns.

Heat assistant coach Carli Tingstad, in her first Canada West match as an assistant was pleased with her players and the way they fought back.

“Coming back from being 1-0 down to win 2-1 — don’t think they have done that before,” said Tingstad. “They stuck to our game model and played our systems.”

UBCO had a tougher time Sunday in Calgary, falling 6-2 to the No. 9 ranked Dinos.

Both Heat markers came from first time Canada West goal-scorers. Second year forward from Hawaii Lauren Candelario scored in the 55th minute, while freshman Maya Bandy of Vernon scored with 10 minutes to play — both on set pieces.

UBC Okanagan (1-1) opens its home schedule this weekend when UNBC and Alberta are in Kelowna on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Both games start at 1 p.m.

Men’s soccer

After a weekend off, the UBCO men (1-2-1) host Calgary (3-1) on Saturday and Lethbridge (2-3-1) on Sunday. Both games start at 3 p.m.

Golf

The UBCO men’s and women’s golf teams are staying home this weekend.

The second PacWest tournament of the season goes Saturday and Sunday at Okanagan Golf & Country Club.

The first event was last weekend at Ledgeview Golf Club in Abbotsford. On the women’s side, Jessica Kozak, Emily Adams and McKenna Lesiuk finished 4-5-6, while James Casorso and Jacob Stewart tied for 13th to lead the UBCO men.