VICTORIA, B.C. – The No. 10 UBC Thunderbirds dropped the opening game of the 2014 Canada West women's soccer season by a score of 2-1 to the No. 7 Victoria Vikes on Friday night in the provincial capital.

Fourth-year midfielder Taylor Shannik, an Arts student from Delta, B.C., got UBC's only goal as the Thunderbirds fall to 0-1-0.
 
Victoria's Lindsay Machin scored the game-winning goal in the 77th minute. With the knotted at 1-1, Machin headed in a left-side cross from Sarah Douglas.
 
T-Birds striker Nicole Sydor was the first to put Vikes goalkeeper Meaghan Storie to the test. Sydor's header went just wide of the net but sent a clear message about UBC's offensive intent just 10 minutes into the match. Six minutes after that, fourth-year forward Emma Greig gave the Vikes their first chance but her low shot from the top of the box rolled just wide of the post.
 
First-half play continued to move from end to end with the better of the chances falling to the Thunderbirds. A series of Shannik corner kicks couldn't provide any opportunity for the visitors, while the Vikes were able to capitalize on a critical chance in the 38th minute. Greig ran the ball down the right side and along the end line calmly found the right foot of Sawicki who made no mistake to get the Vikes up 1-0.
 
The Vikes almost doubled their score line when Natasha Magnus unleashed a gritty shot from the top of the 18-yard box but UBC goalkeeper Emily Wilson was on top of it.
 
Second-year T-Bird Aman Shergill had an equalizing chance just before the break but her header was saved by Storie to keep the game 1-0 in favour of the Vikes.

UBC head coach Andrea Neil's half-time chat seemed to be pivotal as less than two minutes into the second frame, the T-Birds equalized on a rocket of a shot. Amrit Berar set up Shannik, who buried it from well outside the box to tie the game at 1-1.
 
End-to-end action continued as a few minutes later Vikes forward Greig was tripped up in the box by Shergill to give Sawicki a free go from the penalty spot.
 
Wilson got her hands on Sawicki's penalty kick and the ball ricocheted off the cross bar to keep the score even.
 
There was no shortage of action in the final 15 minutes of play with the T-Birds creating several opportunities from outside the box, while the Vikes were causing havoc inside.
 
In the 77th minute, third-year defender Machin potted the go-ahead goal for the home team. With momentum building, Carly Branion-Calles very soon after found herself on a break away run. Wilson stood tall for the close-range shot and the rebound attempt, keeping the T-Birds within one.
 
Wilson finished the night with nine saves and was one of the game's stars. Storie recorded five saves as the Vikes out-shot the T-Birds 12-9.
 
UBC's next game will be on Sunday against the Fraser Valley Cascades at 12 noon. The game will be played at Abbotsford Senior Secondary School and will also be streamed live at CanadaWest.TV.
 
Fraser Valley lost 2-1 at No. 1 Trinity Western on Friday night.

- with files from Ali Lee (Victoria Vikes Sports Information)