VANCOUVER – The UBC men's soccer team closed out their 2018 preseason with a 3-1 loss against the Simon Fraser Clan at Thunderbird Stadium on Friday night.
 
Connor Glennon rounded UBC keeper Jason Roberts after a mistake to open the scoring for SFU in the 23rd minute. Eight minutes later, a penalty was awarded to SFU and Matteo Polisi stepped up and scored in the 31st to make it 2-0 for the visitors. UBC would counter pressure later on in the half, but SFU keeper Luciano Trasolini thwarted a good strike by T-Bird Sean Einarsson.
 
At the half it remained a 2-0 score line for SFU with UBC needing a big effort to get something out of their final preseason encounter.
 
"The first 20-25 minutes I thought we were okay, then we give up a really poor goal, and it was a bad spell after that," said UBC head coach Mike Mosher of his team's effort in the first 45.
 

UBC were more comfortable on the ball to start the second half, creating chances out wide and crossing the ball into big striking partnership of Kristian Yli-Hietanen and new recruit Caleb Clarke.

The Thunderbirds' chemistry was evident in the second half after three preseason games and they pulled through with a goal in the 57th after a loose ball in the Clan area. The ball popped up into the air and big third-year defender Connor Guilherme threw his head at the ball and scored to make it 2-1 and a closer game.

After constant SFU pressure, it paid off again with Michael North breaking through the Thunderbirds' defence and firing the ball crossbody past Roberts and into the bottom corner to make it 3-1 in the 67th.

The feistiness continued into the 77th minute where new recruit Riley Pang was red carded for a tough tackle on an SFU defender. After many late chances for both teams, the score finished 3-1 with the Clan taking the victory under the lights at Thunderbird Stadium.

Mosher also spoke about the chemistry after the last preseason game.

"Chemistry can be better, there is still a lot of work to do and today was obvious, we were not very good," he said. "It will take a little bit of time, the beautiful thing is we have a lot of competition and we have a national championship, so we have some time to figure it out."
 

UBC will look to rebound with their first match of the Canada West regular season on Friday, August 31 in Abbotsford, B.C., against the Fraser Valley Cascades. That one is set for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff, with the Thunderbirds returning on Sunday, September 2 for their home opener vs. Trinity Western at 2 p.m.
 
SFU kick off their season on the road at California State University San Bernardino on August 31 at 2 p.m.