KELOWNA, B.C. — The UBCO Heat fell 1-0 to the UFV Cascades on Sunday at Nonis Sports Field in their final home game of the season, as a lone first-half goal spoiled the send-off for graduating athletes
Matthew Alexander,
Carter Brown,
Dario Fedele, and
Ronan Woodroffe. Woodroffe kept the Heat within reach all night as the Cascades outshot the Heat 22-2.
Outstanding between the sticks, Woodroffe turned aside 10 shots over the full 90 minutes, including nine in a busy first half.
Colin Birtwistle put the Heat's lone shot on target.
Mateo Brazinha netted the game winner and led the Cascades with six shots, three of them on target. Ebi Igali set up the goal and added a shot of his own, while Marcus D'Andrea fired four attempts, putting two on net. Matheus De Souza made one save over the full 90 minutes to record the clean sheet.
The Cascades poured on the pressure in the opening 45 minutes, outshooting the Heat 19-1 and putting 10 attempts on target. Woodroffe did all he could as he turned nine shots aside, but the Cascades broke through in the 38th minute when Igali dribbled down the wing and cut in along the goal line before centering the ball for an easy Brazinha tap in.
Gavin La Montagne had the Heat's only look of the half with a header in the final minute, but the Cascades fought it off and took their 1-0 lead into the break.
Looking for an equalizer, the Heat brought on Brown at the start of the second half and pushed the Heat offence forward with two strikers. UBCO tightened up after the break, holding UFV to three shots, though the visitors held a 5-1 edge in corners. Woodroffe denied Adam Szymanski moments after the restart, and Birtwistle forced a save from De Souza in the dying minutes, but the Heat couldn't find the tying goal when all was said and done.
The Heat look to regroup on the road as they face the Trinity Western Spartans on Friday, Oct. 16, at 7:15 p.m. in Langley, B.C.
