After earning a win and a draw on opening weekend, the UBC Okanagan Heat found the going a bit tougher on the road in week 2 of Canada West men's soccer action.
Despite playing well, the Heat came up empty with a pair of shutout losses to Trinity Western and the Fraser Valley.
"I thought the team took some good steps forward in a weekend that they didn’t get any points, but that’s football in Canada West," said Heat head coach Dante Zanatta, whose team is now 1-2-1 on the season.
On Friday in Langley, UBCO fell 1-0 to the Spartans. Trinity Western’s Mitchell Urzinger broke the Heat's hearts with the lone goal in the 83rd minute of play.
It was first goal Heat keeper Mitch McCaw had yielded this season, other than on a penalty kick.
"Mitch had a couple of spots where they made good quality shots that he had to make good saves on," Zanatta said of McCaw's efforts. "We held them for the vast majority of the match to not good quality shots."
On Saturday in Abbotsford, the Cascades rode the hot goalkeeping of David Hicks to a 3-0 victory over the Heat.
Hicks denied Hamish Walde on a penalty kick with a highlight reel save in the 65th minute.
Despite the setback, Zanatta was pleased with his team's play on Saturday.
"I don’t think the score was really indicative of the game," Zanatta said. "I think we played our best tonight, than in in all of the preseason and our first two games."
The UBC Okanagan men have a bye this weekend, before returning to action Sept. 17 at home to the Calgary Dinos.
Heat women…
With interim head coach Craig Smith at the controls, the UBC Okanagan women's team will open the Canada West season this coming weekend on the road.
The Heat will visit the Lethbridge Pronghorns Friday, before heading to Calgary Saturday to play the Dinos.
UBCO's home opener is set for Saturday, Sept. 17 against UNBC. Kick off at Nonis Field is 1 p.m.