Following a tense first half, the UBC Thunderbirds perseverance paid off with two goals in the second half to defeat the visiting Saskatchewan Huskies on a chilly Friday night at Thunderbird Stadium. The win booked a spot in the U SPORTS nationals for the fourth straight year, while advancing to the Canada West championship game against Calgary on Saturday for the third year in a row at home.

Early in the first half, a great through ball by Nick Fussell found Shumbusho bursting in behind the defence, but his chip was well saved by an aggressive Saskatchewan keeper Marcus Baxter.



Shumbusho then played provider with a great ball in for Kerman Pannu who came on as a sub earlier in the half, but his shot from close range went over the goal in the 26^th minute.

UBC was aggressive in the second half and were rewarded in the 54^th minute when Jordan Haynes delivered a curling cross from 30 yards out on the left flank for Pannu to head home from close range giving the 'Birds the important 1-0 advantage.

MSOC |@ubcmsoc opens the scoring early in the second half thanks to Kerman Pannu's crafty header off a beautiful cross from Jordan Haynes in minute 54. T-Birds up 1-0 vs. @HuskieAthletics in game two of @CanadaWest Final Four semifinals at Thunderbird Stadium#WinTheWest pic.twitter.com/xtN6MEdgaV

— UBC Thunderbirds / @UBCTBirds (@ubctbirds) November 2, 2019

In the 67^th minute, another combination play down the right side fell to Fussell and his shot took a deflection and was headed goal bound, but Baxter made an unreal save near the short side post to keep it scoreless.

In minute 81 the T-Birds would add an insurance marker following a flurry of chances the ball found Gardner atop the Huskies 18-yard-box and he unleashed a turf burner to the bottom left corner and a 2-0 lead.

?? MSOC | @ubcmsoc increase their lead after a flurry it's Thomas Gardner's turf burner from 22 yards out giving the hosts a 2-0 advantage over @HuskieAthletics in minute 82.
Game two of @CanadaWest Final Four semifinals nearing an end at Thunderbird Stadium#WinTheWest pic.twitter.com/LfRBDQVnrW

— UBC Thunderbirds / @UBCTBirds (@ubctbirds) November 2, 2019

The visitors poured on the pressure in the final few minutes, the best chance coming off the head of rookie substitute Ajani Fontaine but he sent it high.

"Through the game we didn't give up much, we have talked all season that if we don't concede we will find ways to score goals because we have the players to do so," said UBC head coach Mike Mosher. "When we get going on our own turf, we are tough to deal with, and we are going to control lots of games, they had a good spell at the end of the first half but we did well to deal with it".

It would finish 2-0 for UBC despite the Huskies pressing the 'Birds back line, but like it had all season, it stood strong helping them keep a clean sheet in their fifth consecutive Canada West playoff game.

UBC will meet the Calgary Dinos Saturday night at 7 p.m. PT in the Canada West gold medal game, meanwhile the Huskies take on the Mount Royal Cougars in the bronze medal match at 4 p.m. PT at UBC Thunderbird Stadium. You can catch all the action on Canada West TV.