VICTORIA, B.C. — The UBCO Heat fell 1-0 to the Victoria Vikes on Saturday, as a goal in the dying seconds of the first half proved to be the decider. The Heat were held without a shot on target, while the Vikes put up 13 shots, with eight on goal.
Ford turned in a strong performance between the sticks, making six saves over the full 90 minutes, with four coming in the first half and two in the second.
Haden Thomas led UBCO's attack with two attempts, while
Neala Peters came closest to finding the back of the net when she rattled the crossbar.
Hannah Harper netted the game-winner for Victoria, converting the only one of her two attempts on net. Ruby Nicholas set up the goal and led the Vikes with four shots, two of them on target, while Brianne McLeish managed to put both of her attempts on target as well. In goal, Stefanie Mocnik went the full 90 minutes to record the clean sheet.
The Heat's lone look of the half was from Thomas, who sent a shot wide in the 13th minute. The Vikes then took control of the game, piling up five shots and three corners in a 10-minute spell midway through the half, but Ford held firm with three saves to keep the game scoreless. Victoria finally broke through at the very end of the frame, when Harper took a pass from Nicholas inside the box on her left foot and fired with her right into the bottom left corner to send her team into the break up 1-0.
Pushing for a equalizer after the break, Peters' effort off the crossbar was the closest the Heat came despite earning two corners in the final 15 minutes. The Vikes held a 6-2 shot edge in the half, but Ford stopped both of their shots on target to keep it a one-goal game.
The Heat stay on the road to face the Thompson Rivers WolfPack on Friday, Oct. 23, at 5 p.m. in Kamloops, B.C. for another matchup in the Presidents' Cup.
