KAMLOOPS – The first round of the 2023-24 battle for the President's Cup between UBC Okanagan and Thompson Rivers University went the way of the Heat as they defeated TRU 1-0 in women's soccer action Saturday.
 
"In the second half I thought we were the better team," said WolfPack head coach Mark Pennington. "We started slowly and didn't do a couple things that we wanted to get done, were on the back foot and conceded - in our opinion - a sloppy goal."
 
Stefanie Young provided the winner for UBCO with the assist going to Abigail Taneda. Aneesa O'Brien made four stops in the TRU net while Talia Gagnon recorded a pair of stops for the shutout.
 
UBCO controlled much of the opening half and were rewarded for their pressure in the 33rd minute. Taneda made a good run down the sideline and floated a cross in that Young headed into the back of the net.
 
TRU rallied in the second half and dominated the game late.
 
"I thought the group responded well and the intensity in the second half was great, they did everything we asked for and just needed that bounce and then it's a different result I think," said Pennington. "I don't think we deserved to lose the game, a draw probably would have been a fair result but that's soccer, we'll take the positives from the second half performance and will build on that going into another difficult weekend."
 
In the 75th minute Esi Lufo and substitute Berea Woldeyes combined for a nice run of play in the Heat box, but the ensuing shot was stopped by Gagnon.
 
Lufo, Woldeyes, Kat Stewart and Anika Black all created dangerous chances late in the game with the best efforts coming via Stewart and Lufo.
 
"One of the big positives is the young players getting their first taste of U SPORTS action in the last couple of weeks and watching them start to grow into the league and hopefully send some messages to the older players that there are players knocking on the door for spots," said Pennington.
 
A well-designed WolfPack free-kick on the edge of the box in the 84th minute resulted in Stewart putting a hard shot on net that was stopped by the keeper.
 
Lufo had the WolfPack's final chance to score in the 86th minute of play.
 
A long ball into the box was headed skywards by a UBCO defender and Lufo leaped acrobatically to connect with a bicycle kick that was rocketing towards net before a UBCO defender blocked it.
 
The WolfPack are now set to return to Kamloops and prepare for their long-awaited home opener next Friday. They will face the UNBC Timberwolves inside Hillside Stadium at 6 p.m.
 
"It's been a pretty arduous little while with our Portland trip, road games last week and then another day-trip this week, so we are excited to be back on home soil," said Pennington.