VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds clinched a berth to the Canada West women's rugby playoffs with a 20-5 victory over the visiting Lethbridge Pronghorns on Friday afternoon in Vancouver.
 
With the victory, UBC improved to 2-0 while Lethbridge fell to 0-2.
 
"We kept our composure," said UBC head coach Maria Gallo. "For most of the game, we were able to follow through with our game plan. That try they got was a bit of quick decision making that caught us off guard but I think overall, I think our game was structured and organized."
 
Kamloops, B.C., native Haley Glendinning scored two tries for UBC while teammate Nicole Mallow of Caledon, Ont., added the other. Paige Smith of Surrey, B.C., kicked a convert and a penalty goal for the rest of UBC's points.
 
Third-year wing Nicole Ronsky of Rocky Mountain House, Alta., got the lone try for Lethbridge.
 
Glendinning's first try, the game's winning points, came just before halftime in the 40th minute. Out of a scrum, UBC moved the ball from the five-metre line towards the end zone. Glendinning was able to touch the ball down to increase the T-Birds' lead. Smith made the convert to put the home side up 10-0.
 
Smith opened the scoring in the third minute with a penalty goal, which was set up by a nice run from inside centre Mackenzie Lee (Langley, B.C.).
 
The Thunderbirds made it 15-0 in the 48th minute. After a series of quick taps, UBC moved the ball wide through several pairs of hands before Mallow crashed over the line carrying multiple players with her.
 
The Pronghorns responded almost immediately with a great display with speed and quickness. With the ball inside the UBC 20-m line, Ronsky took a pass from her right and outran the T-Birds defence nearly untouched over the try line.
 
The convert was missed, leaving the visitors trailing 15-5.
 
Fifteen minutes later, Lethbridge's Ronsky was assessed a yellow card, the team's second of the match.
 
Right away, UBC took advantage and move the ball down to the goal but a turnover, and a long kick by Pronghorn Tiffany Wideen negated the threat.
 
The T-Birds did finally breakthrough with Ronsky in the sin bin, as Glendinning found the end zone on a run to the wing to cap off the scoring in the 70th minute.
 
UBC will host CIS No. 1 Alberta on Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. in front of the Gerald McGavin UBC Rugby Centre, while Lethbridge will head to Vancouver Island for a game against Victoria at 11:30 a.m. PT.