Files from U of A Sports Information
EDMONTON - In a rare Friday night field hockey match, the UBC Thunderbirds downed the Alberta Pandas 1-0 at Foote Field in Edmonton. It was Alberta's ninth straight loss of the season while the win temporarily moved UBC into first place in the Canada West.
UBC, who beat Alberta in the CIS championship game last year, got on the board 15 minutes in when Canada West scoring leader
Victoria Pearson, who now has 7 goals on the year, picked the bottom corner of the Alberta net on a short corner shot.
Natalie Sourisseau almost doubled the score two minutes later when she hit the post behind Alberta goalie Tory Spencer.
The Pandas came close to tying the score with seven minutes remaining in the half, but a partial breakaway was denied by UBC goalie
Bea Francisco. Rookie Evelyn Wise led another promising Alberta rush on the UBC goal minutes later, but was turned aside by the Thunderbird defenders before she could get a shot off.
Both teams had opportunity in the second half but no clear scoring chances.
The win improves UBC's record to 6-1-2, and temporarily ahead of the Victoria Vikes, 5-1-2, who are hosting Calgary this weekend. Goalie
Bea Francisco earned her sixth win of the season and fourth shutout.
The Pandas are now 0-9 on the season, and have scored just two goals all year. The last Alberta field hockey team to go winless was the 1985 Pandas, who finished the year with a 0-9 regular season mark.
Alberta and UBC will meet again Saturday night, the Pandas final home game of the season, at 6:00 p.m. at Foote Field.
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