VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds (3-1-1) will embark on their longest road trip of the season this weekend as they head to Edmonton to face a pair of Prairie division opponents. UBC begins their trip against the MacEwan Griffins (1-3-2) on Saturday, September 21, at 1:30 p.m. PT before taking on the Alberta Golden Bears (1-4-1) on Sunday, September 22, at 1:15 p.m. PT.
The No. 6 ranked T-Birds sit second in the Pacific division with ten points, while MacEwan and Alberta are fourth and fifth, respectively, in their Canada West division with a single win apiece. While UBC is nine points back of the top seeded UBC Okanagan Heat, the 'Birds have played three fewer games than their provincial rival.
Last Action
UBC came off a bye week to play just one match against Lethbridge last Saturday when they earned a clean-sheet, 2-0, win over the winless Pronghorns. Fourth-year midfielder Mackenzie Cole netted his second goal of the season in the 31st minute to open the scoring and early in the second half Nick Fussell scored his first to solidify the victory.
The Griffins picked up a single point on the road in B.C. last weekend, falling 1-0 to UBCO in Kelowna and drawing Thompson Rivers 1-1 in Kamloops. Meanwhile, the Golden Bears have lost four straight contests - including a 2-0 loss to Victoria and a 1-0 loss to the Heat a week ago.
Coach's Take
UBC head coach Mike Mosher says his team is still looking to grow as the season progresses.
"It was good to have our bye week and get some rest, but also to work on some things and get better after our disappointing weekend in the Interior trip," said Mosher. "We want to keep moving forwards and be improving each and every week as we move towards playoff time. I thought it was a fairly strong performance vs Lethbridge despite only two goals, there could have been a few more for sure."
Despite having more points than their upcoming opponents, Mosher isn't underestimating the lengthy trip.
"Games in Canada West are never easy and road games are especially so," said the longtime head coach. "Traveling longer distances and performing can be a challenge and I think we will be facing two teams in MacEwan and Alberta who are eager to get some points given somewhat slower starts."
