KAMLOOPS – After not trailing in a game all of last year, the UBC Thunderbirds found themselves behind early in their season opener versus the Thompson Rivers University Wolfpack. But a second half comeback gave the T-Birds a 2-1 victory and three points to begin their 2016 campaign.
 
It was the 13th minute when TRU midfielder Justin Donaldson nodded in a corner kick to give the Wolfpack a 1-0 lead. It was a lead that would last until ten minutes past halftime.



In the 56th minute UBC forward Titouan Chopin scored a strange goal with an assist to the TRU crossbar. Chopin's shot from distance hit iron, bounced back off the head of TRU keeper Clay Harsany and trickled over the goal line.
 
The T-Birds completed the comeback in the 74th minute when Manpal Brar took a slick pass from Bryan Fong and calmly struck the ball inside the far post.
 


UBC Head Coach Mike Mosher credited his halftime substitutions with giving the 'Birds the boost they need to stage the comeback.
 

First 3 pts in the bag! @ubctbirds 2-1 come back from behind victory over @GoTRUWolfPack #gobirdsgo #ubc pic.twitter.com/FnTuyIEEOL

— UBC Men's Soccer (@ubcmsoc) August 28, 2016

"The boys really stepped it up. Putting Manpal Brar and Zach Verhoven in helped change things around," said Mosher. "And the other guys on the field really switched it up. What we saw in the first half is not acceptable. What we saw in the second half is what we expect. Those guys, true freshmen, really changed the game. Manpal is a beast. He is a big body that is tough to deal with. Zach is as tricky as they come. And with Titouan going in on the other side, it really changed the game."
 
UBC completes their two-game road trip in Kelowna with a match versus the UBCO Heat on Sunday at 3 p.m.