ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – The UBC Thunderbirds got goals from Zach Verhoven and Kerman Pannu to edge the Fraser Valley Cascades men's soccer team 2-0 on Friday evening at MRC Sports Complex.

Verhoven scored in the 32nd minute, Pannu tallied in the 60th, and keeper Jason Roberts made three saves for the shutout as the Thunderbirds improved to 6-1-4, good for second place in the Pacific Division. The Cascades (3-5-1) are fourth.

Both teams are back in action on Saturday – UFV hosting the Victoria Vikes (8 p.m., MRC Sports Complex), and UBC visiting the Trinity Western Spartans (7:15 p.m.).

Verhoven's ice-breaking goal took a deflection on its way into the back of the net. On a broken play with the ball bouncing around the box, Verhoven took a crack at it and his shot went off UFV defender Sahib Phagura and into the top corner to the left of Cascades keeper Alex Skrzeta. Shortly thereafter, UBC captain Bryan Fong nearly doubled the visitors' lead, but his header went off the post.
 

The Cascades had several chances early in the second half to equalize. First, Elijah Sampson caught up to a long, high-arcing pass and was bearing down on Roberts, but he lost his footing in the box while jockeying with a UBC defender. Later on, Daniel Davidson flicked a ball through to Michael Mobilio who set up Sampson for what appeared to be a clean look, but UBC's Fong came from out of nowhere for a last-gasp tackle which may well have saved a goal.

That opened the door for Pannu to extend the T-Birds' lead. He launched his team-leading fifth goal of the campaign from just outside the box, curling a shot into the top corner just beyond the reach of a diving Skrzeta.

In the 79th minute, UFV generated another batch of quality chances, but Roberts denied Davidson from close range and Connor MacMillan sent his follow-up effort over the crossbar.

UBC's Titouan Chopin and UFV's Justin Sekhon – who had a late header tipped over the bar by Roberts – were their teams' respective players of the game.