VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds (2-0-0) will be rested and ready to host the rival University of Victoria Vikes (1-0-1) for their home opener on Saturday, September 28 at 11:00 a.m. PT at Wright Field. Game two of the Legends Cup series between the familiar foes goes Sunday, September 29, at 11:00 a.m. PT.
After winning seven straight U SPORTS national championships, the 'Birds were finally dethroned atop the Canada West a year ago when the Vikes earned first place by way of the tie-breaking goal differential - as both finished with identical 4-1-3 records. This weekend's matchup will be the first grudge match between the two B.C. teams, as the T-Birds are coming off a bye week and will be hungry to reclaim the conference championship.
Last Action
The Thunderbirds began their 2019 conference schedule with a two-game sweep of the Calgary Dinos in Alberta two weeks ago - winning each contest by a single goal. UBC edged the Dinos 2-1 in game one thanks to goals from Sara Goodman and Margaret Pham. Game two was also a back-and-forth affair, but the 'Birds held off Calgary to win 4-3 win on goals from Pham, Hannah Eborall, Jordyn Faiczak, and Goodman.
Victoria also met the Dinos in their first Canada West action last weekend, but came away with a 2-2 tie in Calgary before bouncing back to shutout the Dinos 3-0.
Coach's Take
Second-year head coach, and former T-Bird, Poonam Sandhu praised first-year Calgary head coach Roel Van Maastrigt for his work improving the Dinos field hockey program, and pushing UBC to compete that much harder.
"The Dinos did a great job of applying pressure throughout the games and it challenged our team to bring out our best for every minute," said Sandhu. "What impressed me about our team was that even though we had a ton of pressure on our shoulders, we remained calm and focused on the process. As a team we did a great job of supporting one another and that was a big takeaway from the weekend in Calgary."
Sandhu knows the 'Birds will need to stick to their game plan to succeed against the Vikes.
"Our games against UVic are always intense and the rivalry between the two schools is what makes playing sports so exciting. However, if we continue to support one another and stick to the process we will put ourselves in a good position this weekend. Playing at home is always an added bonus, so we're going to enjoy this moment but also focus on taking care of business one game at a time."
