VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds women's rugby team is looking to clinch the fourth-and-final Canada West playoff spot this weekend, as they prepare to host the No. 10-ranked Alberta Pandas on Friday, October 16. The T-Birds and Pandas are set to square off on the Frank Buck Field at the Gerald McGavin UBC Rugby Centre, with the opening whistle scheduled for 4:00 p.m. (PT).
 
The T-Birds (0-2-1) are looking for their first win of the four-game campaign, after they dropped a tough decision to the Victoria Vikes last weekend. UBC and Victoria battled evenly for the first half, with the Vikes leading just 7-5 at the break. However, after halftime, the host Vikes took over, scoring 14 straight points en route to a 21-5 lead. The two sides would trade tries late (with UBC failing to convert their kick), and the contest ended 28-10.
 
Alberta (1-1-0), on the other hand, is looking to continue their impressive form following a 41-21 win over the Lethbridge Pronghorns last weekend. Elizabeth Steele, a lock who was named a Canada West All-Star in 2014, and Amanda Smith, a fourth-year scrum half, each snagged a pair of tries in the win as the Pandas ran all over the Horns, rebounding from an opening-weekend loss to the league-leading Calgary Dinos.
 
Though this marks the final regular season contest for UBC, Alberta will get one more shot to improve their record heading into the Canada West playoffs, as they're set to face Victoria on October 18.
 
The T-Birds enter the weekend chasing Lethbridge for the final post-season spot. The two squads hold identical records and tied in their only meeting this season, but Lethbridge is ahead by a single point in the standings as they had one game with at least four tries.

The Canada West semifinals slated to begin on October 23.