It’s another busy weekend of athletics for UBC Okanagan sports teams.
Here’s a look at what’s going on with Heat athletics
Men’s Volleyball
Three more challenging preseason matches are on tap for the men’s volleyball team this Thanksgiving weekend. Already having battled Argentina this fall, the Heat will play another international match on Thursday night. UBC Okanagan hit the court at the venerable War Memorial versus Fudan University from China. On Friday the Heat will have their first shot at the inter-school rival the Thunderbirds. This game will played off campus at Vancouver Technical Secondary. The last match-up will send the Heat into the lair of the defending national champions, the Trinity Western Spartans. Saturday night the Heat will try and knock off the champs at the Langley Events Centre. The Heat were unable to take a set off the champs when they played in Kelowna last month.
Men’s Rugby 7’s
The Heat men will play in an invitational tournament at Washington State University in Pullman, WA on Saturday. UBC Okanagan will be one of 16 teams from around the Pullman area that will participate. UBC Okanagan is in Pool A with Central Washington University, Boise State, and Pacific University. The Heat’s three scheduled games on Saturday. After pool play UBC Okanagan will play at least two other matches and possibly three.
Women’s Soccer (CCAA ranking: No. 11)
The season crossed over the halfway mark last weekend in the home-and-home series with Thompson Rivers, the Heat played the No. 4 ranked WolfPack to consecutive 1-1 draws, and now find themselves in a dogfight to make the playoffs with just six games left to play.
Only the top four squads make the playoffs in the eight-team league, and the Heat hold the fourth and final playoff spot with 11 points due to their (2W-1L-5T) record. However, their hold on the fourth spot is a tenuous one as teams two through seven are separated by a mere five points.
The Heat will play on the road for the last time in the regular season when they travel to play Kwantlen and then Douglas College. Saturday the Heat play the third place Kwantlen Eagles (3W-2L-3T-12 pts.) at the Newton Athletic Park. The Eagles handed the Heat their one loss on the year last month.
Men’s Soccer
The men’s team will look to their last road trip to notch their first win of the season. The men from UBC Okanagan have yet to win a game this year and have a record of (0-4-4). The problem for the Heat this year is scoring; the Heat have been unlucky around the goal, scoring only six goals on the year.
Two of those six goals were scored in the Heat’s loss to the Douglas Royals when they faced off in Kelowna last month. The Heat will face the No. 5 Royals again Sunday in Coquitlam at the Town Centre.
Before facing the Royals the Heat will look to get their first win Saturday versus the Kwantlen Eagles at the Newton Athletic Park.
Men’s & Women’s Golf
The women’s golf team has won their third tournament in a row and they have a stranglehold on the PACWEST women’s standings. It was first year golfer Jessica Kozak from West Kelowna who co-led the team, placing second overall with a two-day total of 168. Jen Woods also shot a 168. The top shooter for the men was Will Deck, who finished third with a 145 at the Nanaimo Golf & Country Club.
This weekend the team will play two rounds at the Chilliwack Golf & Country Club in a tournament hosted by Fraser Valley.
