VICTORIA – The University of British Columbia Thunderbirds spoiled the final Canada West regular season home game of the season for the University of Victoria Vikes with a 3-0 shutout on Thursday night at Centennial Stadium.
The Thunderbirds (8-1-3) didn't take long to jump ahead in the front half of the home-and-home Legends Cup series and grab command of top spot in the Pacific Division.
Nick Fussell slammed home his third of the season in front of the net.
Thomas Gardner earned his fourth assist of the season in the fourth minute and goalkeeper
Jason Roberts earned his fifth shutout of the campaign.
The reigning Canada West men's Third Star of the week,
Victory Shumbusho had his way all night long and used his body to protect the ball from Jose Sagaste and Rees Goertzen in the Vikes' zone. In tight, he slipped it five-hole on Jas Lally, but the graduating keeper was bailed out by Goertzen, who booted it off the goal line.
Shumbusho wouldn't be denied for long, as two minutes later he buried an individual effort by hammering the ball through four Vikes in the 31
st minute.
Seconds before the break, the Vikes (7-4-1) best opportunity of the half came off the foot of Isaac Koch, as he tried to thread a volley past the near post, but shot from too sharp of an angle. Despite four corner attempts, fifth-year keeper
Jason Roberts only needed to make one save in the opening 45. Roberts made a diving snag to haul in a strike from Matteo Ventura in the 89
th minute for his second and final save as he picked up his fifth shutout.
In the 53
rd minute, Fussell sent a through ball for Shumbusho into Vikes' territory. The reigning Canada West third star of the week hit the gas and blew past the Vikes defenders and chipped one off the post past Lally for his ninth of the season.
The two sides resume this home-and-home series Saturday afternoon at Thunderbird Stadium. Kickoff goes at 2 p.m. Catch all the action on
www.canadawest.tv, presented by CO-OP.
