Chilliwack’s Mackenzie Silbernagel could hardly have picked a more timely occasion to notch her first career Canada West goal.
With Silbernagel’s University of the Fraser Valley women’s soccer squad in search of its first victory of the 2018 season Friday at the MRC Sports Complex in Abbotsford, she scored the game winner in a 2-1 triumph over the UNBC Timberwolves.
The rookie forward came off the bench in the 71st minute and wasted no time making her presence felt. In the 77th minute, she took a pass from Tripat Sandhu at the top of the box, made a quick turn, and ripped a shot into the bottom right corner.
“She’s a gamer,” UFV head coach Rob Giesbrecht said of Silbernagel. “She’s got a bright future ahead of her. She’s shown in training and in other games that if you give her a bit of time and space, she’ll bury it. I’m proud of her, and happy she got it done.
“It’s great to get our first win. We’re a young team that’s faced a tough schedule, we’ve faced adversity, and I’m really proud of the girls for how hard they worked tonight.”