UBC captures soccer gold

Mark Phelps, the Ubyssey (University of British Columbia)

VANCOUVER — The UBC Thunderbirds women’s soccer team captured their first Canada West title since 2003 Sunday, shutting out the University of Victoria Vikes 3-0 in the finals.

The Thunderbirds had automatic entry to the semi-finals and home-field advantage for the championships because of their No.1-ranking. The Thunderbirds got to the finals by beating the Trinity Western University Spartans in the semi-finals 2-0, while the Vikes advanced by defeating the University of Manitoba Bisons 1-0 in extra time.

In the finals, third-year player Sarah Treloar opened the scoring in the eighth minute for UBC, when she received a pass inside the box and was able to get enough on the shot to watch the ball trickle past the outstretched hands of the goalkeeper.

UBC head coach Dick Mosher called the first goal “tremendously important,” as the team was able to build on the early momentum and play a “defence first” strategy.

UBC continued the pressure in the first half and increased their lead late in the half. Janine Kerr streaked down the middle of the field, blew past a defender and crushed a strike into the top left corner of the goal.

U of V came out strong in the second half, pinning UBC in their end of the field for the first 10 minutes. The UBC defense was up to the challenge keeping the U of V attack to the perimeter of the field and setting the stage for Birds goalkeeper Jackie Dunnett to record the team’s sixth straight shutout victory.

UBC was quick to counter the U of V pressure when Caitlin Davie nailed home a thunderous strike from outside the box sealing the victory for the Thunderbirds.

Up next for both teams is a trip to the CIS national championships in Cape Breton, N.S. from Nov. 8-11. UBC is on a mission to become back-to-back national champions for only the second time in school history.