UVic's playoff run comes to an end
By The Nelson Daily Sports
By Bruce Fuhr,
The Nelson Daily Sports
For Noelle Sylvester and the University of Victoria Vikings, the playoff run ended before it started.
The Vikings lost out on a chance to advance to the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) Women’s Soccer playoffs when the University of Saskatchewan Huskies edged UBC 1-0 Saturday in Regina.
UVic had hoped to run the table during its final two games against University of Lethbridge and Sunday against the University of Calgary and have the Huskies drop its final two to sneak into the post season.
However, the season came crashing down when the Huskies managed to pull off the minor upset against the Thunderbirds.
“It is pretty disappointing but in the end we just did not put ourselves in a good position to be in at the end of a season,” Sylvester told The Nelson Daily from her home in Victoria. “You never want to have the fate of your season lie in the results of your opponents.”
“It was quite strange actually so much was riding on the last weekend of the regular season to decide who made it to playoffs,” the L.V. Rogers Bomber grad added. “I think (University of) Alberta was the only team with a secure spot.”
For those keeping score at home the seventh-place Vikes edged 1-10 University of Lethbridge Pronghorns 1-0 Saturday at Centennial Stadium.
Jacqueline Harrison scored the only goal Vikes would need and Stephanie Parker register the shutout to power UVic past Lethbridge.
What the Vikes had not predicted was Saskatchewan would upset No. 10 ranked UBC to knock UVic, and the University of Calgary, out of the post season run.
In its final game of the season, UVic dropped a 3-2 decision to U of C.
“The score for our game on Sunday (against Calgary) did not reflect the game at all,” Sylvester explained. “We didn’t have the best first half but we completely dominated the second half and if we had a little luck on our side we would have had a few extra in the back of their net.”
Frankie Bencher and Kaitlyn Hunter scored for the Vikes, finishing the season with a 5-6-3 record.
This is second season for the 29-year-old Sylvester with the Vikes varsity women’s roundball team after taking a handful of seasons off before returning to university.
The 5’4”, converted defender is considering her options entering the professional year to become a teacher.
“I am just going to take it semester by semester and see how I feel,” Sylvester explained. “It is a really heavy course load so that is something I will have to think about.
“But on the other hand it is hard to give it up when there is still so much I want to accomplish with the Vikes,” she added.
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