VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds men's soccer team, ranked second in Canada, will head to the Okanagan this weekend to face off against the Thompson Rivers WolfPack (1-5-2) and the UBC Okanagan Heat (3-4-3). The 'Birds will look to extend their impressive seven-game win streak and add to a stellar 7-0-1 Canada West record. 

UBC head coach Mike Mosher says the biggest goal this weekend is to earn home field advantage for the league playoffs.
 
"[The] goal for the weekend is to try and secure and clinch first place in the division...it would be nice to have that done going into the final weekend," noted Mosher.
 
A pair of wins would confirm a first-place finish in the Pacific Division standings. The Thunderbirds lead tby five points over Fraser Valley and have two games in hand. The top team in the Pacific at the end of the regular season will have home-field advantage for the duration of the Canada West playoffs.
 
UBC faced TRU and UBCO last month, winning the matches 2-0 and 2-1, respectively. The Thunderbirds are hoping for a repeat performance, but will need to ensure they generate meaningful scoring chances. 
 
At this time last season, the Thunderbirds had 37 goals, compared to 23 this year. 
 
Mosher acknowledges that, while the team is playing incredibly well, there is still some room for improvement: "I think we can be better in the final third of the field, create a few more chances and be more ruthless when we do get those chances."
 
A crucial part of UBC's success this season has been the brick-wall performances of rookie goalkeeper Chad Bush (Ottawa). Bush has recorded five shutouts so far this season and has allowed just one goal in his last six games. 
 
Mosher is well aware of the importance of his team's sturdy defensive end, which has surrended four goals in eight matches: "I like the fact that we are very stingy defensively and a difficult team to score against. I would like to see that continue."
 
The Thunderbirds will certainly be the odds-on favourite heading into Saturday's matchup against TRU. The Timberwolves have not recorded a win since facing Fraser Valley in mid-September. UBC will need to be on the lookout for veteran WolfPack forward, and former T-Bird, Ryan Glanville, who is responsible for six of 10 TRU's goals this season.
 
UBCO has found some mid-season momentum after a shaky September saw the Heat secure only one win. Through October UBCO has gone 2-0-2 and will be looking for a crucial win when the Thunderbirds come to town on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Thunderbirds will face TRU at 2 p.m. (PT) on Saturday, October 13 in Kamloops. They'll then head to Kelowna on Sunday, October 14 to square off against UBCO at 3 p.m. (PT).