KELOWNA, B.C. - The UBC Okanagan Heat women's soccer team is set to make their return to the Canada West playoffs as they will travel to Saskatoon to take on the Saskatchewan Huskies in the conference quarter-finals on Saturday.

The game, which will kickoff at 1 p.m. Pacific live on CanadaWest.tv, will see the Heat, the third-seed in the Pacific division, battling the Huskies, the second-seed in the Prairie division, with a spot in the Canada West Final Four on the line.

The Heat (8-4-2) had a memorable season in 2023, a year which include a 3-2 victory over the Huskies in Saskatoon back in September. The Heat set new single-season program records for wins with (8), goals (30), and goals against (20). They also saw a new level of individual success with graduating senior Stefanie Young (Kelowna, B.C.) amassing a program record 14 goals. Abigail Taneda (West, Kelowna, B.C.) tied her own record for single season assist, with five, while Talia Gagnon (Dieppe, N.B.) also broke a UBCO benchmark with eight wins.  

This will be the Heat's first playoff action since 2016 when they were bounced out of the Pacific Division play in as well as their first-ever appearance in the Canada West quarter-finals.

OPPONENT
Saskatchewan Huskies (10-3-1) - Second Place in the Prairie Division

The Huskies had a successful season winning 10 of their 14 games and they come into the matchup undefeated in their last six outings. This year marks the team's 11th consecutive playoff berth.  Saskatchewan are 3-1 all-time against the Heat and 1-1 when on home turf. They were knocked out of last year's quarter-finals by the Trinity Western Spartans.

ONES TO WATCH
Stefanie Young - UBCO Heat

The Kelowna, B.C.midfielder has had a senior season to remember.  She scored 14 goals over the course of the regular season and is now the UBCO's record holder for most goals in a career (19), most goals in a season (14) and most goals in a game (3). Her year also included three hat-tricks as she would finish tied for most in the conference, and fourth in the country, for goals scored this season.

Marie Kilcher - Saskatchewan Huskies

The third-year striker from Saskatoon, Sask., started nine of the 14 games the Huskies played this season and managed to finish the regular season with six goals, four assists and ten points.  Kilcher also scored her first career hat trick against the Winnipeg Wesmen on September 10th, their program's first three-goal game since 2014.