CALGARY - Needing to beat the UBC Thunderbirds on Saturday to keep their playoff hopes alive, early fouls proved costly for the University of Calgary Dinos, as they dropped a 4-0 decision, eliminating them from postseason contention.
BOX SCORE
Tyson Keam scored two early goals, one via a free kick and one on a penalty kick, and was by far the most effective player on the pitch, creating countless other solid opportunities for the T-Birds. With the victory, UBC moves to 10-3-0 on the year and take sole possession of first place after a shocking 2-1 Trinity Western loss to the Lethbridge Pronghorns on Saturday afternoon.
With wind gusts reaching upwards of 40 km/h, both teams were forced to adjust their strategies dramatically on the West Varsity Pitch, which in it's open setting gives no protection from any breeze. And while the Dinos are more used to such conditions than their counterparts, it was the Birds who were able to figure out the winds early on, forcing the Dinos into some uncharacteristic lapses of judgement.
In a span of three minutes early in the first half, the Dinos took two yellow cards for unsportsmanlike behaviour before fouling Tyson Keam on the right side of their own net. Setting up his free kick in front of a Dinos wall, Keam decided to attack the net, and somehow missed everyone in front of a fooled Calgary goaltender #J.P. Crescenzi#, sending a normally harmless bouncing shot inside the left post.
Shortly thereafter, Keam struck yet again, but this time on the penalty shot after being fouled by Crescenzi in the box. Going left while Crescenzi dived right, Keam smashed it in for his second on the day, and his fourth of the season.
Down 2-0 at the break, Calgary substituted Crescenzi, who made only one save on three shots, for second year goaltender Micheal Arnieri. While Arnieri let in two goals of his own, he fared slightly better with four saves, two of which coming on very tough shots from Keam.
UBC was helped by goals from Devin Gunenc and Jorge Angel Mira, who both found paydirt in scramble situations in front of Arnieri's net. With the goal, Gunenc, a second year midfielder, moves his season total to four, good for a tie with Keam for the team lead.
Calgary got two shots on goal from Matt Reid on the afternoon and determined play from Ilya Zelinskiy in an otherwise listless match for the Dinos.
Credited with the victory and this fifth shutout of the year, Birds goaltender Nikolai Matni made five saves on the afternoon. Matni and UBC will head to Lethbridge on Sunday to face the Pronghorns, where with a tie or a victory they can seal home field advantage for the duration of the Canada West playoffs.
Calgary falls to 4-7-2 on the year, and will finish up their season tomorrow against the Trinity Western Spartans, who all of a sudden find them-selves scrambling for first place in Canada West after their slip-up against the 2-7-4 Horns.
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