The Matchup
After their late-game resurgence led to a narrow 2-1 victory of the Lethbridge Pronghorns last Saturday, the UBC Thunderbirds men's soccer team are off to the Canada West Final Four. The 'Birds will face the Calgary Dinos on Saturday, November 5 at at 10:00am (PT) in Edmonton.Â
Calgary finished their regular season with 30 points, just three points shy of UBC's Canada West leading 33-point finish. The T-Birds and Dinos did not face one another during the regular season, making Saturdays match all the more unpredictable.Â
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Last ActionÂ
UBC were held scoreless through sixty minutes last weekend against the Horns. Titouan Chopin's penalty kick and Mackenzie Cole's clutch goal in the 82nd minute helped lift the T-Birds to the 2-1 victory.
The Dinos clinched their spot in the Final Four after a 2-0 win over the UFV Cascades last Saturday. Bori Falaye netted both of Calgary's goals, while his team managed to outshoot the Cascades 25-12. Â
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By the NumbersÂ
1 - Save made by UBC goaltender Chad Bush against Lethbridge. UBC's defense was solid throughout the match, only allowing six shot attempts.Â
4 - Number of Thunderbirds who landed multiple shots-on-goal last Saturday. That offensive pressure will be crucial in solving a defensively strong opponent like Calgary.Â
Players to Watch
Kerman Pannu (M, #13) - Led his team with six shots last Saturday. His five goals and team leading 19 shots-on-goal through the regular season prove his ability to create scoring chances.Â
Mackenzie Cole (M, #15) - The rookie midfielder was the hero last weekend, lifting UBC to victory with his goal in the 82nd minute. All the more impressive is the fact that Cole was a late-game substitution.Â
Coach's TakeÂ
Head coach Mike Mosher acknowledges the challenge Calgary will bring this weekend, and knows his club will need to play hard for a full 90-minutes.Â
"It is an interesting match up, Calgary are a team that have scored a lot of goals this year and we are a team that have had a strong defence," noted Mosher.
"Last weekend our guys really persevered and kept pushing to find a way to beat Lethbridge after going down from an early goal. This next game won't get any easier, we can be sure of that."
