MSOC: TWolves Strike Twice Late in the First Half En Route to a Thrilling 2-1 Win over TRU

A two-minute span changed everything.

Friday night in Prince George on a perfect summer night, the UNBC Timberwolves Men (1-0-0) kicked off their season on a high note with a 2-1 victory over the TRU WolfPack. Koss Nystedt and Jamie Wildash-Chan scored two minutes apart late in the first-half, erasing a 1-0 WolfPack advantage. When things got tight in the second half, UNBC goalkeeper Logan Pierce was there. He finished with five saves while his counterpart Luca Ortu made two for TRU. The WolfPack goal came from Abdel Coulibaly eight minutes into the first half.

The opening goal of the match was a wicked strike from Coulibaly that came from the left-corner of the 18-yard box. Pierce lunged to his left and got some of the ball, but not quite enough, and the visitors jumped ahead 1-0.

Steve Simonson's club didn't panic. The TWolves moved the ball with purpose and waited for the right opportunity to counter-punch. That opportunity came late in the first.
Wyatt Lyon sent a high, bending ball into the penalty area from the right wing. Ortu got his hands on the ball, but couldn't corral it in time, and Koss Nystedt pounced. The third-year defender got just enough of the ball to send it through Ortu's legs and home to tie the match at 1-1.

Then, mere moments later in transition, the Timberwolves took the lead.

Lyon started the sequence with an incredible long ball that started from the left-wing of the back-third of the pitch. The pass soared perfectly onto the foot of Wildash-Chan who settled the ball on the ground and with his next touch sent a missile past Ortu and in for his first career Canada West marker.

Territorially, TRU held a slight edge in the second half, but the TWolves would not relinquish their opening night lead.

The final score showed 2-1 when the final whistle echoed through Masich Place Stadium, and the TWolves were understandably pleased with their result. In his post-match comments, Wildash-Chan was quick to compliment his team's chemistry and called it a massive factor in his team's comeback victory.

The TWolves will now take aim at a 2-0 weekend when they battle TRU again on Sunday afternoon at 2:30 pm.