VANCOUVER – For the second straight game the UBC Thunderbirds picked up a single point by way of a 1-1 draw with the Victoria Vikes Thursday night at Centennial Stadium.
Veteran forward
Victory Shumbusho scored his sixth of the season late in the opening half but a relentless Vikes attack in the second frame led to a Nick Park tally in the 68
th. A late flurry by the T-Birds (5-3-2) came up empty handed as the two Canada West rivals were forced to settle for a single point each.
"It's a frustrating result for us on the day," said UBC Head Coach
Mike Mosher. "There are some areas we need to address as we go into the Saturday game and into the last few weekends of the season."
On a clear, comfortable Victoria evening, the first game of a home-and-home series saw the 'Birds earn their share of chances early on. But it wasn't until the dying moments of the half when UBC finally broke the ice.
In the 44
th minute,
Thomas Gardner sent a cross towards the box where Shumbusho perfectly headed the ball into the net for his 26
th career Canada West tally, moving him into a tie for 12
th on the all-time list while giving the 'Birds their first goal in over 150 minutes.
The Vikes (2-5-4) nearly got the equalizer in the 64
th when
Axel Thulin Lennselius was forced to make a diving save on a low Archie Tugwell shot. An ensuing corner kick for Victoria saw Sam McDonald get his head on the ball, but it bounced right off the post.
After the pair of quick Vikes chances, UBC quickly transitioned upfield and nearly doubled the lead but
Asvin Chauhan's strike attempt was just wide.
Victoria was able to convert on their next good opportunity, however, when Park scored in the 68
th to get the home side level with his third of the season.
The Vikes continued to press and held the pace of play for much of the next 15 minutes or so, but as the clock ticked down toward stoppage time,
Tristan Nkoghe, a fresh substitution in the 84
th, had two prime scoring chances in the final moments. But Vikes keeper Harjot Nijjar got in front of both shots, two of his six total saves on the evening.
Thulin Lennselius made five saves of his own while the T-Birds held the edge in shots (13-11) and shots on target (8-6), but for the second straight game were forced to settle for a single point.
"We have good players who are putting forth strong efforts," Mosher added. "We need to maintain resiliency, continue to work hard and believe more positive results are ahead."
Heading back across Georgia Strait to the mainland, the 'Birds will now prepare to host Victoria for the second leg of the home-and-home which kicks off Saturday at 1:30 p.m. PT at Thunderbird Stadium.
Tickets are available now and the game will also be streamed live on
Canada West TV.
