VANCOUVER - The No. 2 UBC Thunderbirds men's soccer team welcomes two southern Alberta teams, Lethbridge and Calgary, to town this weekend. The two games this weekend provide the Thunderbirds an opportunity to vault into first place in the Canada West conference standings.
GAME TIMES
Friday, September 30 – Lethbridge at No. 2 UBC (7:15 p.m. at Thunderbird Park, Vancouver)
Saturday, October 1 – No. 10 Calgary at No. 2 UBC (7:15 p.m. at Thunderbird Park, Vancouver)
No. 2 UBC Thunderbirds
2011 conference record: 2-0-3 (5th)
2011 CIS ranking: 2
Last week: tied Saskatchewan 1-1, tied Alberta 3-3
Streak: 3 ties
The T-Birds are still undefeated on the season, but after an explosive 2-0 start to the year in which they outscored opponents 8-2 on opening weekend, they haven't been able to find that top gear, settling for draws in three straight matches.
A late penalty kick against Saskatchewan last weekend stole a victory away from the 'Birds, and they did well to avoid the loss column the next day against Alberta, coming back from a two-goal halftime deficit to earn a 3-3 tie.
Sean Haley (Vancouver, BC) pulled into a tie for the team lead with his third goal of the season against Alberta, while
Paul Clerc (Coquitlam, BC) and
Tyson Keam (Langley, BC) each picked up their first of the year.
UBC currently leads the league in scoring, but the team's trademark defence is on pace to allow more than a goal per game for the first time since the 2007-08 season.
Three of their starting four fullbacks -
Jason Gill (Abbotsford, BC),
Will Hyde (Oakville, ON) and Matthew Allard (Vancouver, BC) - were Canada West All Stars last year, with team captain Gill earning a first team All Canadian nod, so look for that group to tighten up this week against Lethbridge and Calgary, who have combined for just 10 goals in 12 games this year.
Lethbridge Pronghorns
2011 conference record: 1-5 (tie 7th)
2011 CIS ranking: -
Last week: lost to Victoria 3-0, beat Fraser Valley 3-0
Streak: 1 win
The Pronghorns had no wins and just one goal to their credit for the entire season heading into their last match against Fraser Valley. They got their first win in emphatic fashion with a 3-0 result, but whether that is a blip on the radar or the first indication of a major turnaround remains to be seen.
The scoring chances have been plentiful on both ends of the pitch for Lethbridge. The 'Horns trail only Alberta in total shots this season, but they also face a league-leading nine shots on goal per game, making keeper Colin Pattison a busy man between the pipes.
Six of the 12 goals they have given up this year were in back to back 3-0 losses to start the season, so things have improved somewhat on the defensive end in their recent games, but converting more of their own chances into goals is the major task at hand for the Horns. They tallied just six goals all of last year, and must find a way to put together more multi-goal efforts like last week to stay competitive against the high octane UBC offence.
No. 10 Calgary Dinos
2011 conference record: 4-2 (1st)
2011 CIS ranking: #10
Last week: beat Fraser Valley 1-0, lost to Victoria 3-0
Streak: 1 loss
Calgary sits atop the Canada West standings despite stumbling last week against Fraser Valley and Victoria.
The Dinos barely beat last place Fraser Valley on a late goal by Ben Cole, and then suffered their first home loss in nearly two years by a score of 3-0 to Victoria.
The Dinos should feel lucky to be a first place team considering they currently sport a goal differential of -2. All of their victories have been by one goal, and their losses have been blowouts, so the Dinos have issues to work out both offensively and defensively if they want to hold on to the top spot.
Third year Canada West All Star forward Izak Lawrence led the team with eight goals last year and will likely be a focal point of the offence this weekend. Fifth year defender Dustin Ruddell and fifth year midfielder Devin Delany were both conference All Stars last year as well, giving the Dinos talent and experience all over the park.
Translating that into wins consistently in the highly competitive Canada West is easier said than done though, but the Dinos' tilt with the T-Birds this weekend should be a good barometer for what the second half of the season holds for Calgary as the midpoint approaches.
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