Sports

The UBC-Okanagan women’s soccer team has advanced to the PACWEST provincial final for the second straight year after cruising to 4-1 semi-final victory over the Quest University Kermodes Friday evening.

Photo: Contributed - Darren Handschuh

Forward Madeleine Greig (left, in blue) scored in the third minute of the semi-final match in Squamish.

Penticton's Madeleine Greig got the game off to a quick start for the Heat, heading home a beautiful cross from four-time all-star fullback Jennifer Kidd three minutes into the match.

The Quest Kermodes, playing at home in the championship, would draw even in the twentieth minute.

Becky Schile’s looping strike off of a free kick bounced inside the eighteen-yard box and floated over the head of Heat keeper Christine Tallon for the equalizer.

Before the end of the half Vernon native Kirsten Dodds intercepted a pass from the Quest keeper and made her pay by confidently placing the ball in the back of the net, giving UBCO a 2-1 lead at the end of the first half.

In the second half, Quest switched to a more aggressive attack trying to find the equalizer, but Tallon made several phenomenal saves to preserve the victory.

Looking for a momentum switch, Heat Coach Claire Paterson made an important adjustment of her own.

With Quest attacking and UBCO clinging to a one goal lead, she sent in Kelowna's Alana Hazell, a first year forward.

The substitution of Hazell paid immediate dividends when she made it 3-1 minutes after entering the game.

“It was a great game, and we all really came together to get the win we're all excited and getting physically and mentally prepared for (Saturday),” says Hazell.

Just over a minute later Lindsay Briggs ended the hopes of Quest's quest for the title by chipping a shot past the keeper to score the Heat’s fourth and final goal.

The gold medal game will be Saturday at 7:00 p.m. against the defending champion Thompson Rivers WolfPack who advanced to the final after their extra-time victory over the Langara Falcons.

The two squads met last year in the 2011 PACWEST finals in Kelowna that saw TRU outlast the Heat to win the Gold in extra time.

The winner of tonights's game moves on to the eight-team national championship in Charlottetown, P.E.I. hosted by Holland College from November 7-10, 2012.