ABBOTSFORD, BC – The No. 1 UBC Thunderbirds men's soccer team shook off an early goal against to beat the Fraser Valley Cascades 3-1 in Canada West regular season action on Saturday afternoon.
Sasa Plavsic scored his fourth goal of the year in the eighth minute to give the host Cascades a surprising lead against UBC, playing its first game of the season as the top ranked squad in the CIS.
The Cascades held the lead for the rest of the half, with some help from the woodwork. UBC players
Navid Mashinchi (2nd, Port Moody, BC) and Gagandeep Dosanjh (2nd, Abbotsford, BC) both hit the goalpost with shots late in the first half, with Dosanjh's chance coming in time added on.
The Thunderbirds were finally rewarded early in the second half as Mashinchi notched his third goal of the year in the 48th minute.
Just nine minutes later,
Marco Visintin (4th, Vancouver, BC) converted a penalty for the game-winning goal. It was his fourth of the season, his third against Fraser Valley. It was also his spot kick goal of the year.
UBC got an insurance goal in the 86th minute from
Devin Gunenc, his second of the 2011 season.
The Thunderbirds dominated the second half, firing 11 shots on the UFV goal while the Cascades did not have any that hit the UBC net.
UBC goalie
Luke O'Shea (1st, Richmond, BC) made three saves for his second victory of the year, after coming into the game in the 24th minute for
Richard Meister (2nd, Port Moody, BC).
The Thunderbirds sweep the season series against Fraser Valley, outscoring the Cascades 7-3 over two games.
UBC (6-0-3) will now travel to Victoria to play the 5-2-2 Vikes on Sunday.
