The Vikes had scored just once in opening the season with 1-0 and 3-1 losses, respectively, against the UBC Thunderbirds and Trinity Western Spartans, and a scoreless draw against the Fraser Valley Cascades.
But the spillway gates opened for UVic (1-2-1) against the winless Timberwolves (0-2-1) with two goals by third-year rookie Teresa Anania, who began her collegiate career in the NCAA at Purdue-Fort Wayne, and one each from Stephanie Badilla Gutierrez, Emily Lieuwen, Caitlin Milham and touted rookie Kiara Kilbey out of Stelly鈥檚 Secondary. Vikes veteran Shannon Elder set up two of the goals.
The rebuilding Vikes face the Alberta Pandas today at 5 p.m. in sa国际传媒 West action at Centennial Stadium.
In sa国际传媒 West men鈥檚 play, the CIS nationally seventh-ranked Vikes (3-0-1) beat the Trinity Western Spartans 1-0 in Langley on Friday. Dominic Colantonio got the Vikes鈥� goal in the 74th minute. UVic is in Abbotsford tonight to take on the Fraser Valley Cascades.
Meanwhile, the UVic Vikes open the sa国际传媒 West women鈥檚 field-hockey season today at 11 a.m. against cross-strait rival UBC. The Vikes know they will be in the CIS national championship tournament as host Nov. 5-8, but head coach Lynne Beecroft doesn鈥檛 want her charges looking ahead.
鈥淚 told the players they need to be in the here, in the now, because the nationals are seven weeks away,鈥� said Beecroft, an Olympian who will be after her 12th national title in her 32nd season at the UVic helm.
National team long-listed Kathleen Leahy and Rosie Beale lead a team that went 2-1 on a recent tour of the Ivy League with victories over Yale and Brown and a loss to Harvard.
鈥淜athleen and Rosie are knocking on the door,鈥� said Beecroft.
Key newcomers include Alexis De Armond out of Mount Douglas Secondary, who has been invited to Canadian junior national team camps, and Jocelynne Charlton out of Reynolds Secondary, whose aunt and former UVic star Nancy Mollenhauer played with Beecroft at the 1984 L.A. Olympics.
The Vikes returned from the recent Ivy League tour with a spate of injuries that have affected the roster.
鈥淚t will bring out the best in the other players, because they know now they have to do more to help their teammates,鈥� said Beecroft.
The Vikes and Thunderbirds close out their conference-opening set Sunday at 11 a.m. at the UVic turf field.
