For the second time this weekend, the UNBC Timberwolves proved to be a resilient foe, battling back from a two-goal deficit to earn a 2-2 draw on Sunday with the University of the Fraser Valley men's soccer team.

The storyline was eerily reminiscent of Friday's series opener, which saw the T-Wolves also rally from two goals down to claim a 2-2 tie.

Trevor Zanatta scored two first-half goals for the Cascades on Sunday, but Stu Rowlands and Abou Cisse struck in the second half to level the score for the visitors.

When all the rubber turf pellets at Abbotsford Senior Secondary had settled, the Cascades (2-3-5, 11 points) still have full control of their playoff fate, sitting fifth in the West Division and needing to climb into the top four to punch their post-season ticket. The UBC Thunderbirds (15 points), Trinity Western Spartans (15) and Thompson Rivers WolfPack (14) are still within reach, and TWU has already completed its 12-game regular season schedule, meaning two UFV wins at UBC Okanagan next weekend (Oct. 22-23) would be enough to get them in.

UNBC (1-4-5, eight points), remarkably, is also mathematically alive for a post-season berth, if they're able to sweep TRU at home next weekend and the UFV-UBCO results fall favourably.

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"I thought our first half was fantastic, probably the best we've looked all season," Cascades head coach Tom Lowndes said afterward. "We created numerous chances – missed a pen, their keeper's made three or four good saves, we've hit the bar… it could have been 4-0 or 5-0 at halftime, and wouldn't have been an unfair result.

"And then for whatever reason, second half, we come out again and I don't know if it's a lapse in concentration or what it is, but just a bad 20-minute period that kind of set the tone. Two poor goals, in terms of how we conceded them. Our balance was poor, and we allowed them too much space . . . we weren't able to kill the game off.

"Conceding late is a heartbreaker, and obviously it's disappointing."

The Cascades appeared poised to open the scoring in just the second minute on Sunday, as Jaskarn Sodhi was hauled down in the box. Nikhil Reddy stepped to the penalty spot, but his attempt cleared the crossbar. 

The hosts were undeterred, though, and opened the scoring just two minutes later. David Parfett, from the right wing, lofted a free kick into the box, where Zanatta rose to head it home, just off the fingertips of UNBC keeper Daniel Zadravec. 

In the 14th, Zanatta made it 2-0. Off another Parfett set piece – a corner this time – the ball was initially cleared out, but Reddy tracked it down and unleashed a powerful volley that was stopped in highlight-reel fashion by Zadravec. Zanatta was there to pop home the rebound, though.

The Cascades continued to push for more offence – Tobias Spiess banged a free kick off the crossbar, and Taylor Richardson had a rising shot from the left wing tipped over the bar by Zadravec.

UNBC got on the board in the 63rd – Kensho Ando's attempted pass to the wing took a fortuitous deflection off a UFV defender and fell right into the path of Rowlands, and he capitalized with a low shot into the left corner.

The Cascades continued to generate great looks off Parfett set pieces – Taylor Richardson flicked a terrific header off a free kick, but Zadravec dove to his left for a spectacular save.

At the other end, UNBC's Gregor Smith had a clean look on a counterattack following a UFV corner, but Cascades keeper Jackson Cowx tipped his rising shot over the bar.

The UFV side suffered a blow in the 72nd minute when captain Ryan Donald went down with a knee injury and was unable to continue.

The T-Wolves equalized in the 88th. The Cascades initially cleared a dangerous-looking cross into the box, but the ball went right to Cisse, and his low shot found its way in through traffic.

The Cascades had honoured four graduating athletes – Donald, Parfett, Reddy, and Jun Won Choi – in a pregame senior ceremony, and while Lowndes noted he would have loved to send them off with a win, he praised them for what they've given to the team.

"Those guys have contributed immensely to the program, helped us build and helped us continue to get better," Lowndes noted. 

"Ryan Donald, for me, is up there in the top three or four most complete players who have ever played for this program. Ryan was part of my first full recruiting cycle . . . I still remember standing in a clubhouse on a rainy night, and him telling me he wanted to come to UFV. I knew what a good player he'd become.

"I'm happy for him, and for the rest of the boys. David Parfett's turned into a really, really good player and a good leader, a great guy to have around. Nikhil's come in and meshed with the group really well, and obviously Jun, we know his qualities and we've been so excited to have him back this season."