VANCOUVER – The battle for the West Division of the Canada West women's soccer league will come down to the very final games of the regular season this weekend, as the top four teams will face each other.
 
The No. 4 UBC Thunderbirds (10-1-1) host the Fraser Valley Cascades (8-3-1) on Friday, and the sixth-ranked Trinity Western Spartans (9-1-2) on Saturday at Thunderbird Stadium. Both games will kick off at 5 p.m. PT on David Sidoo Field. UFV and TWU will also play at fourth place Victoria this weekend.
 
UBC head coach Marisa Kovacs is confident in her team's ability to end this season with two more wins. 
 
"Friday and Saturday we are looking to take steps forward and...we are looking to earn six points."
 
UBC is coming off two road wins in Alberta last weekend, 1-0 at Calgary and 2-1 at Lethbridge. Forward Amrit Berar (Richmond, B.C.) scored the only goal at Calgary while forwards Jasmin Dhanda (Surrey, B.C.) and Shayla Chorney (Vancouver) found the net at Lethbridge. The win at Calgary gave UBC goalkeeper Olivia de Goede (Victoria, B.C.) her league-leading sixth shutout of the year.
 
The Trinity Western Spartans have won four matches in a row, including a two-game sweep of UFV a couple of weeks ago by a combined score of 7-1.
 
The team's offensive skills have been on full display as of late, netting 23 goals while only allowing two since the start of October.
 
Berar scored both goals in UBC's 2-0 victory in the only meeting between the teams this season, which came on Sept. 11 in Langley, B.C.
 
UFV can't win the division but handed UBC its only loss in league play this year, a 2-1 decision on Sept. 12 in Abbotsford, B.C. The Cascades also outscored their opponents 9-3 on their recent Prairie road trip.
 
This weekend's games will feature four of the Canada West's top goal scorers. Alessandra Oliverio of TWU leads with 10 goals. UBC forward Dhanda is second with seven and UFV players Gurneet Dhaliwal and Monika Levarsky both have six, tied for third.

Kovacs acknowledges that part of her team's success is owed to its strong, family-like bond this season. 
 
"We have a group of strong, intelligent footballers who all have a common goal and haven't taken their eyes off the prize all season. 
 
"I believe our best football is in front of us. We are looking to peak at the right time."
 
The Thunderbirds will honour four players who will finish their university careers at the end of this season: goalkeeper Olivia de Goede (Victoria, B.C.), midfielder Taylor Shannik (Delta, B.C.), midfielder Kym van Duynhoven (Burnaby, B.C.) and defender Krista Whittaker (Nanaimo, B.C.).
 
Purchase tickets to the CIS women's soccer championship, which will take place Nov. 12-15 at Thunderbird Stadium.