VANCOUVER - The no. 2 ranked UBC Thunderbirds men's soccer team will travel outside B.C. for the first time in 2011, when it visits no. 7 Saskatchewan and unranked Alberta this weekend.
GAME TIMES
Saturday, September 24 – no. 2 UBC at no. 7 Saskatchewan (1:15 p.m. at PotashCorp Park, Saskatoon)
Sunday, September 25 – no. 2 UBC at Alberta (1:15 p.m. – Foote Field, Edmonton)
No. 2 UBC Thunderbirds
2011 conference record: 2-0-1 (3rd)
2011 CIS ranking: #2
Last week: tied Trinity Western 1-1
Streak: 1 tie
UBC maintained its No. 2 ranking in the weekly CIS Top Ten after a 1-1 draw at arch rivals Trinity Western on Saturday.
The Thunderbirds tied the game in the 79th minute on a Trinity Western own goal. Coach
Mike Mosher said his team wasn't at its best against TWU, but was glad to still gain a point against a motivated provincial rival.
He says the task won't get any easier this weekend, when Thunderbirds play at Saskatchewan on Saturday at 1:15 p.m. and then at Alberta on Sunday at 1:15 p.m.
“Saskatchewan has a pretty experienced team and it might be the best team they've ever had,” said Mosher. “They've got some very good experienced attacking players.”
“Alberta is tied with us right now in the standings,” added Mosher. “It's really tight, if you look at the standings with four teams within two points.”
UBC has a high-powered offence, which is averaging three goals a game.
Marco Visintin (Vancouver, BC) is tied for second in the Canada West with three goals on the year while teammates
Sean Haley (Vancouver, BC) and
Navid Mashinchi (Port Moody, BC) each have two.
UBC's defence has given up just three goals all year and starting goalkeeper
Richard Meister (Port Moody, BC) will be back after missing last week's game.
“I think everybody is looking at this as a pivotal weekend,” said Mosher. “It's going to have certain big playoff implications and quite possibly implications on who ultimately could come first in Canada West and that right to host the conference championships.”
No. 7 Saskatchewan Huskies
2011 conference record: 3-1 (tied 1st)
2011 CIS ranking: #7
Last week: beat Fraser Valley 4-1, lost to Victoria 2-1
Streak: 1 loss
Saskatoon – The Saskatchewan Huskies are ranked No. 7 in the country, coming off a 4-1 win at Fraser Valley and a 2-1 loss at Victoria.
Striker Jerson Barandica-Hamilton had three goals and one assist on the weekend and was named the Canada West Male Athlete of the Week.
Barandica-Hamilton also leads the Canada West in goals and points in 2011 and sits first in goals and points in the conference all-time.
Keeper Mark Diakiw sits tied for first in the conference in saves.
The last time the Huskies and T-Birds met was in the 2010 Canada West final where UBC squeaked out a 1-0 win.
Since 1999, UBC is 17-6-2 against Saskatchewan.
Alberta Golden Bears
2011 conference record: 2-1-1 (4th)
2011 CIS ranking: -
Last week: tied Victoria 1-1, beat Fraser Valley 2-1
Streak: 1 win
Edmonton – The defending Canada West regular season champions return home after a successful road trip where the team gained four of a possible six points by tying Victoria and beating Fraser Valley.
Against the Vikes, Alberta's Cameron Schmidt scored in the 57th to knot the game at one. While in Abbotsford against UFV, the Golden Bears' winning goal came in the 59th minute from Milan Timotijevic.
The Golden Bears are a very good second half team statistically. In 2011, Alberta has outscored its opponents 5-0 in the final 45 minutes of the game, while outshooting them 33-17.
Alberta is currently tied with UBC in the Canada West standings, although the Thunderbirds have a game in hand.
- with files from Saskatchewan and Alberta Sports Information
