PORTLAND, Ore. – The first real look at the 2018 UBC Thunderbirds women's soccer team was a positive one as the 'Birds finished a three-match preseason trip in Oregon with a pair of wins and solid all around play against three NCAA Division I opponents.
UBC kicked off the trip Friday afternoon with a 3-1 loss to the University of Portland Pilots. The match gave the 'Birds an opportunity to get 19 players some time on the pitch with good minutes against a strong home side. The first goal of the preseason campaign went to
Alyssa Hunt off a great build up play and cross from
Margaret Hadley that tied the game going into the break. A goal in transition against UBC early in the second half and a late PK for Portland rounded out the scoring.
"The first game on the road trip gave us a great chance to try a couple shapes and get everyone lots of good minutes," said UBC head coach
Jesse Symons. "It was exciting seeing the first year players put on the jersey for the first time and represent the school. We got lots of nerves out through the match and showed some quality sequences throughout."
The T-Birds continued their swing through the Beaver State Saturday visiting Oregon State University coming away with their first preseason win, a 2-0 decision.
A scoreless first half with lots of competitive play by both teams through midfield made it difficult to get any rhythm. But the second half was sparked by some excellent possession by
Rachel Jones,
Tess McRae,
Rachel Kordysz and
Emma Cunningham.
The first goal came off the boot of first year player Michelle Jang after receiving a ball from Hunt at the top of the 18 yard box. The 'Birds continued to press for more through dynamic play and were rewarded with a penalty after Hunt was taken down in the box. However, the Oregon State keeper made a great diving save to keep the score 1-0.
UBC continued to move the ball around and were rewarded with a second goal off the boot of
Danielle Steer after a cross from
Marisa Mastropieri.
Emily Moore would keep the clean sheet for the Thunderbirds.
"We had great learning after our first match against the Pilots," said Symons. "The team collectively showed a mindset to make it difficult to be broken down. Give full credit to our forward mix for constantly looking to attack and create opportunities around the goal. I'm really impressed with the players' will to play for each other and am excited to see how we build through the rest of preseason with the quick learning and execution."
After a day off Sunday, UBC headed back to metro Portland for their third game in four days under a scorching sun against the Portland State Vikings, but the 'Birds ended their trip in style with a 1-0 victory.
It was a slow first half with very few chances for either team as the match remained scoreless at the half. With 45 minutes left on the road trip and some tired legs, the T-Birds showed their team first approach and came out in the second half with lots of energy and control of the match. A goal from McRae off a scramble in the penalty box from a Cunningham corner proved to be the winner with the T-Birds outshooting Portland State 10-1 in the second half alone.
"It was a real character performance by the team," said a pleased Symons following the end of the challenging trip. "I was really impressed with how the team kept pressing and still kept good structure with heavy legs. Overall we had a very good trip against three strong D1 Schools. I'm really proud of all the players and how they performed."
The 'Birds are back in action Thursday, August 16 when they take to the pitch at Thunderbird Stadium for the first time this preseason hosting Western Washington University, a perennial number one GNAC opponent. Kickoff is set for 3:00 p.m. at Dhillon Field.
