The Matchup:
The UBC Thunderbirds, ranked second nationally, continue their six-game homestand this weekend.
First up is a Friday night matchup at Thunderbird Stadium against the Canada West Prairie Division-leading Alberta Golden Bears, who have been perfect in their first six games of the season. They sit one spot behind UBC in the CIS Men's Soccer Top Ten in the third slot. Statistically, the odds are in UBC's favour for Sunday afternoon's game against the Saskatchewan Huskies at Ken Woods Field. The Huskies have been outscored 12-1 in their first four outings.
Titouan Chopin. Rich Lam photo.
Last Action:
UBC's performances last weekend displayed two different sides of the club. Friday's 3-0 victory over Trinity Western showed their scoring potential, while their nil-nil draw against Fraser Valley the following night revealed some room for improvement when facing defensively-minded clubs.
Alberta's dominance was felt firsthand by the Huskies last Sunday when the Golden Bears handed them a crushing 5-0 defeat. It was Saskatchewan's second such loss of the season, and Alberta's fourth shutout.
By the Numbers:
3 - Years since UBC has faced both Alberta and Saskatchewan in the regular season. The Thunderbird's hosted both teams back in September, 2013.
9 - Number of T-Birds who have contributed to the team's 13 goals so far this season.
Players to Watch:
Kerman Pannu (#13, M) - Nabbed the opening goal and delivered the corner kick that led to UBC's third goal on Friday night's win against Trinity Western. He has four points (2 goals, 2 assists) in the 2016 season.
Lucas Reis (#17, M) - The veteran midfielder also contributed a goal and an assist during last Friday's win, bringing his season point total to three (2 goals, 1 assist).
Coach's Take:
UBC head coach
Mike Mosher hopes to see some improvements in his team's offence, but knows that Alberta will likely be the 'Birds' biggest challenge so far this season.
"We want to be a little bit sharper and more fluid in how we attack. With Alberta, their record speaks for itself. They're scoring a lot and have some good young players. We're certainly going to have our hands full [this weekend]. Hopefully it will be a good, entertaining match."
