VANCOUVER - After a lengthy break, the UBC Thunderbirds (2-0-4) are headed to Victoria to close out their regular season with a crucial Legends Cup series against their longtime rival University of Victoria Vikes (3-0-3). The defending national champion Vikes have a slim lead over the 'Birds for first in the conference, so this weekend's result will determine the Canada West champion and who will earn the opportunity to compete for the U SPORTS national title.
Game one goes Saturday, October 26, at 11:00 a.m. PT, while the regular season finale takes place on Sunday, October 27, at 11:00 a.m. PT - both at the UVic Field Hockey Turf.
Victoria edged the T-Birds by way of a tie-breaker last season en route to their twelfth national title, halting UBC's streak of seven straight U SPORTS banners. For the second year in a row there has been little separating the two powerhouses, as both matchups so far this season ended in scoreless draws.
Last Action
The Thunderbirds have tied four straight matches, including a pair of draws (2-2 and 1-1) against the Calgary Dinos on home turf in their most recent conference matches back on October 5th and 6th.
UVic leapfrogged the 'Birds for top spot in the conference after picking up two important victories (1-0 and 2-1) over the Dinos last weekend.
Coach's Take
Second-year head coach Poonam Sandhu says her team needs to step on the field with the belief that they can win.
"I believe in this team and I believe in the work and preparation that they have put in this season," says Sandhu. "Having the confidence in themselves and their abilities is going to be the difference maker and so I'm excited for this weekend and I'm excited for the challenge. We need to stick to our game plan, and trust the process."
Sandhu also recognizes the difficulty in having twenty days between competitive matches.
"I think any time you have a massive break in the middle of your season, you can run into issues pertaining to a lack of focus and intensity. We've done a lot of team building with the sport psychology department during this time and I think this has made a big difference in the way we approach training...so I'm confident that this break has not hindered our ability to perform."
Both the Vikes and Thunderbird programs have players representing Canada on the national stage, and Sandhu recognizes an important weekend ahead for the national teams as well.
"We would also like to wish the Canadian Men's and Women's National teams in their Olympic qualifying matches against Ireland! We are sad to miss the games this weekend in West Van but will definitely be cheering them on from Victoria!"
