VANCOUVER – It was another win for the UBC Thunderbirds and another two goals for leading scorer Gagandeep Dosanjh (Abbotsford, BC) on Saturday night as they took round two against the UNBC Timberwolves by a final score of 5-1.
UNBC put UBC up on the board first with an own goal twelve minutes in, followed shortly after by Dosanjh's first goal in the 19th. Taking a pass from
Marco Visintin (Vancouver, BC) just outside the box, he blasted one past Timberwolves keeper Mitch McFarlane (Prince George, BC). Dosanjh then set up
Reynold Stewart (Delta, BC) in the 25th, but the Timberwolves did fight back with a well-placed header from rookie Tyson Hunter (Langley, BC) in the 26th minute, assisted by fellow rookie David Chin (Maple Ridge, BC).
Dosanjh headed in his 11th goal of the season in the 32nd minute and UBC closed out the half 4-1.
Apart from allowing a goal in the 51st minute by midfielder
Daniel Gazzola (Burnaby, BC), UNBC was able to control the Thunderbirds offence for the final 40 minutes of the game.
“Honestly I've said it a few times over the last couple of weekends that we've created more than enough chances and I think finishing can be better,” said UBC head coach
Mike Mosher.
This year's squad has opened the season better than any other Mosher has seen in his 17 years as head coach.
The last time UBC got off to a perfect 8-0 start was in 1994. Mosher was just getting started in his first year as an assistant coach while his father, Dick, was still in charge.
The younger Mosher maintains that his team must stay diligently focused on playing each game at a time and getting ready to be at their best when it matters most.
The real test and the true measure of this team's greatness won't come for another month from now when they hope to return from Quebec City as CIS champions, just like the 1994 Thunderbirds did. UBC's last national title was in 2007.
“We've got six good tough games to finish off the schedule and that's what we want to make sure that we're battle ready for the playoffs. We start playing some of the stronger teams, and that's when we're going to start to find out a little bit more about ourselves,” said Mosher.
“It's nice to be where we're at, but now it's also nice to know that in the couple weeks ahead we've got some real tests in front of us that will start to prepare us for the playoffs and what lies ahead,” he added.
The Thunderbirds will rest for a couple of days over Thanksgiving, and then they must get prepared for a pair of away games next weekend against the top two teams in the Canada West Prairie Division.
They'll face the University of Alberta Golden Bears (6-1-1) in Edmonton on Saturday afternoon, and then head to Saskatoon for a Sunday game against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies (5-2-1).
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