KAMLOOPS – It was an historic night for a Thompson Rivers WolfPack women's soccer team that took down the UNBC Timberwolves 1-0 and set multiple new program benchmarks in the process.
 
Winning their sixth game of the season, the WolfPack set a new program record for wins in a year while also ensuring that they will advance to the Canada West playoffs for the first time since 2015.
 
"It's all about the team. All the staff has worked really hard, the team has worked super hard and we are just really the excited," said head coach Mark Pennington. "The sky is the limit for this group as we move forward into the playoffs and I don't think anyone in Canada West is going to want to play against us, because we are a tough, resolute group that have a bit of belief about us."
 
Now with a record of 6-5-2 on the year and with only one regular season game left to play, the WolfPack are guaranteed to finish no lower than fourth in the Canada West standings. If they remain in fourth, they will host a Canada West Play-In game next Saturday night. If they jump the Calgary Dinos for third, they will advance straight to the Canada West Quarter-Finals where they will travel to the second seeded team from the Prairie Division.
 
Caylah Lemon scored the game-winning goal with Bella Geremia recording the assist. Marissa Young was solid all night long, making four stops for her program-record fourth shutout of the season.
 
Lemon opened the scoring just five minutes into the contest. The rookie Geremia whipped in a corner kick that bounced out to Lemon on the edge of the 18-yard box and her rocket towards net found the upper corner.
 
"For Lemon to pop up with her first goal from open play was huge. We gave her the MVP for scoring the game winner," said Pennington. "It was a great delivery from Bella, and a big reason why she got the start today was because of her set piece delivery. Bella in training this week was really good, so we gave her the opportunity and it worked out for us."
 
The rest of the first half remained even and the 'Pack took the slim lead into the halftime break.
 
Marissa Young made her finest save of the game just five minutes into the second half. A long ball forward from the UNBC defence was played perfectly onto the foot of a streaking Paige Payne but Young stood her ground and shut the door on the shot from just outside the six-yard box.
 
The rest of the half was white knuckle time for the WolfPack as UNBC heaped on the pressure but a strong display from the WolfPack defence helped preserve both the clean sheet and the victory.
 
"The back four was outstanding all night, UNBC has some really good players and they've got a forward that's been scoring on a regular basis so we did well to keep her quiet," said Pennington. "The whole team had to dig really deep and again we showed our character and there were tears of happiness in the end."
 
With a postseason slot already secured all that is left is for the 'Pack to find out who and where they are playing. In what will be a crucial match on Sunday, they finish the regular season playing the very same Dinos that they are jockeying for position with on the road in Calgary.