VANCOUVER - After opening their 2010 Canada West season with a 48-7 loss to the top-ranked and defending CIS champion Lethbridge Pronghorns, the UBC Thunderbirds look to get into the win column this weekend as they take on the Alberta Pandas and Calgary Dinos at home.
Photo Gallery from UBC-Lethbridge game (Sept. 26, 2010)
UBC will be in tough against a Pandas squad on Friday (3:00 p.m.) who opened their regular season with a 78-0 drubbing of Calgary. The veteran presence of Alberta, they returned 19 players from their 2009 squad, will be a tough hill to climb.
The T-Birds had a number of bright spots in their first game, including the play of standouts
Darcy Patterson,
Radha Jain, and newcomer
Megan Hamm, however, a full 80 minute effort will be require to stay with the Pandas. A victory on Friday is not necessary but UBC will need to see where they stand with the Pandas as both squads are not doubt eyeing a spot at the CIS Championships in early November.
Sunday's contest against the Dinos (1:00 p.m.) won't be a one-way contest despite Calgary's disappointing result in their season opener last weekend. Rugby is a cruel game and putting together two solid performances in one weekend is no given. Any lapse by the T-Birds could allow the Dinos to surprise the hosts.
Calgary added a solid group of newcomers under first year head coach Simon Chi, however, it may take some time for this group to gel under their new leader. The Dinos are without scrum-half Leah Conforti who is out with a knee injury.
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