Outstanding play between the woodwork from Vernon’s Molly Race helped the UBC Okanagan Heat women’s soccer team defeat the hometown Alberta Pandas 1-0 in U-Sports Canada West pre-season women’s soccer action Saturday, Aug. 28, in Edmonton.
Race, who missed her true rookie campaign due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was sensational in goal making a number of highlight-reel saves to come away with the clean sheet.
Stefanie Young of Kelowna, a transfer from the Manitoba Bisons, scored the lone goal of the contest.
UBCO fell 1-0 Friday, Aug. 27, to the defending Canada West champion Calgary Dinos in Calgary.
The Heat, now 2-1-0 in non-conference play, will close out the preseason on Friday afternoon, Sept. 3, when they head to Vancouver to take on the UBC Thunderbirds. Game time is set for 3 p.m.
Race picked up the win in UBCO’s first pre-season encounter, a 3-2 win over the University of Fraser Valley Cascades Aug. 21.
The Heat women’s team will play a 12-game conference schedule, and open the 2021 campaign with a bye. To kick off their conference slate, the Heat will be on the road for a pair of matches in Langley against Trinity Western, Sept. 10 and 11. Their first action on the home on the Nonis Turf at UBC Okanagan is a two-game set vs. the TRU WolfPack of Kamloops Sept. 18 and 19.
As announced by the Canada West on May 5, an alternative format will be used for the 2021 season.
The one-year adjustment divides women’s soccer schools into three regional divisions: Pacific (B.C. schools), Mountain (Alberta schools) and Prairie (Saskatchewan and Manitoba schools).
All teams will play 12 games within their division. The men’s side retains its traditional Prairie and Pacific divisions and will also play a reduced schedule of 10-12 games within the division.
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