EDMONTON – The University of Alberta Golden Bears soccer team claimed their 11th Canada West title in program history thanks to a thrilling 2-1 (4:3) penalty kick victory over the UBC Thunderbirds on Sunday afternoon at Foote Field.
Alberta got penalty kick goals from Niko Saler, Ajay Khaba, Bruno Zebie and Noah Cunningham in the victory, while third-year 'keeper Connor James made a stop on UBC midfielder
Jules Chopin in the shootout and fellow Thunderbird
Kerman Pannu sailed UBC's last ditch attempt to tie the match over the bar.
Lucas Reis,
Luke Griffin and
Titouan Chopin all scored from the penalty kick spot for the Birds.
Both Alberta and UBC will now advance to the 2016-17 national championship tournament to be hosted over the November 10-13 weekend by the University of Guelph. Alberta and UBC will join the host and OUA champion, the Guelph Gryphons, as well as the Cape Breton Capers (AUS champs), the UQAM Citadens (RSEQ champions), the OUA silver medalist York Lions, the OUA bronze medalist Toronto Varsity Blues and the AUS silver medalists, the Acadia University Axemen. The national championship tournament will get underway on Thursday, November 10th at 11:00 a.m. EST and will wrap up on Sunday, November 13th at 2:00 p.m. EST with the gold medal game.
The Bears got off to a quick start against UBC when Tolu Esan took a nice feed from Bears captain Tim Hickson, danced into the T-Birds 18-yard box and sent a chip shot over UBC goalie
Chad Bush for the game's opening goal in the 7
th minute.
The Bears managed to protect that lead across the first 45 minutes, but the 'Birds found an equalizer in the 51st minute. Rookie midfielder
Mackenzie Cole found himself completely unmarked inside the Alberta six-yard box and was picked out perfectly for a pin-point cross by
Jules Chopin. Cole made no mistake from in tight, burying the header past James for the 1-1 goal.
After neither team could find the winner in 90 minutes, UBC turned up the intensity in the first 15 minute OT session, directing four shots towards the Alberta goal which forced James to make a pair of saves. The level of play tapered off after that, although the Bears did generate some chances, including two shots on goal, in the second overtime session.
Once the teams reached penalty kicks, each team coolly traded goals as Saler, Reis, Khabra, who was the OT hero in the semi-final, Griffin, Zebie and
Titouan Chopin all scored with ease. Cunningham buried his shot to put the pressure back on UBC, and that's where James made the stop on
Jules Chopin. Alberta, with an opportunity to win the game outright, sent Sarkaria to the spot, but he was denied by Bush. The Birds, down to their last shooter, had to score to continue the penalty kicks, but Pannu lofted his attempt over the bar, giving the Alberta Golden Bears the conference title and trophy.
The 2016-17 full national championship schedule will be announced on Monday, November 7
th at 7:30 a.m. MST
