VANCOUVER – There's no doubt the UBC Thunderbirds will be battle-tested when the Canada West women's soccer season opens Sept. 6 at home. The team is playing seven non-conference games as part of its preparation for the 2019 campaign, including the first five on the road against NCAA Division I opponents.

The first test will come later today when UBC tackles Seattle, which won the Western Athletic Conference championship and made the NCAA Tournament, at 1 p.m.

The Thunderbirds will then play at Portland, alma mater of Canadian soccer hero Christine Sinclair, on Aug. 14 at 7 p.m., and then Portland State on Aug. 15 at 1 p.m.

UBC will then round out the road portion of its non-conference slate with a pair of games at Pacific 12 Conference schools, Oregon (Aug. 17 at 5 p.m.), and Oregon State (Aug. 18 at 1 p.m.).

"We have started preseason very well with a great mindset from the players," remarked UBC head coach Jesse Symons. "These next few matches will really test us and also help form our identity. It is always great to head south and play against quality opposition. It's a challenge for our team and one we strive for. We have gotten to play four of the five teams in the past couple of years and look forward to also facing the Oregon Ducks for the first time.

"This will be an excellent evaluation of the team with what areas we need to work on leading to the start of season. We are all very much looking forward to spending the next week together on the road."
 

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UBC's final two non-conference matchups will be at home.

The Thunderbirds and the Victoria Vikes face off at Rashpal Dhillon Oval on Aug. 25 at 1 p.m. Victoria will host the 2019 U SPORTS Women's Soccer Championship tournament in November.

Then on Aug. 29 at 7 p.m., more than 1,000 people are expected at Thunderbird Stadium for the annual Jump Start game, part of the festivities around UBC's multi-day orientation designed to introduce first-year students to the school. This year, the fans will be treated to a contest against the Western Washington Vikings, an NCAA Division II squad from Bellingham.

The Thunderbirds will open Canada West conference play with home game against Trinity Western (Sept. 6) and Fraser Valley (Sept. 7). 
 
Season passes are now on sale, and can be purchased here.