VANCOUVER –
The number one nationally ranked UBC Thunderbirds are one win away from securing another Canada West Women's Soccer championship following a dominant 4-0 victory over the Calgary Dinos at Thunderbird Stadium on Friday evening, getting some revenge against the only team to hand them a loss this season in the process.
Katalin Tolnai set UBC on their way just 58 seconds in and there was no looking back for the 'Birds after that. Tolnai completed her second consecutive first half hat-trick within the first 17 minutes of the match, with
Danielle Steer's penalty giving the hosts a four goal lead at the half that they didn't give up.
UBC headed into this weekend's Canada West Final Four with two clear objectives, book another trip to the U SPORTS national championships with a victory and win Canada West gold. So far it's been mission accomplished for UBC head coach
Jesse Symons.
"They're a very good program and we've had some big games with them," Symons said after the match. "They've beaten us in the semis a few years ago, they've beaten us in the Canada West final, we've beaten them at nationals. They beat us this year, so it's back and forth. They're a very good program, very well coached, well organised, good players. To step on them early that way, you couldn't have written it better for us.
"We want a win and we want a banner and we're going to put our best foot forward to go after it tomorrow. We'll face a good team and hopefully we can put the ball in the net at least once more than them tomorrow night."
UBC's identity this season has been to get on the front foot early and get that first goal, and although Calgary pressed the Thunderbirds from the first kick off they quickly got into their rhythm and Tolnai fired a
Nisa Reehal cut back low past Calgary keeper Caley Leask from 20 yards out to give them the lead after just 58 seconds.
Reehal was causing the Dinos defence all sorts of problems on right wing and the pair combined again for Tolnai to double UBC's lead in the 12
th minute from close range.
The in-form striker grabbed her hat-trick five minutes later, finishing off a tremendous lofted ball in from Sophia Ferreira, as the game risked getting out of hand for Calgary.
Steer was sent tumbling in the box under a heavy challenge in the 21
st minute, picking herself up to slot home from the spot to make it four, and UBC came close to adding to their tally when Ferreira's header off a free kick crashed off the right post in the 35
th minute. A dipping volley by
Sophie Damian was tipped onto the bar by Leask three minutes later.
"Overall we wanted to get on the front foot," Symons said of his team's fast start. "I thought the first 20 minutes was a tidal wave and honestly, overall it was fantastic. The finishes and we had a couple of other chances too, which was great to see. Full credit for the way we started, then we just finished the game out."
After being under the cosh for much of the match, Calgary started to get a foothold on the game and finished the half on the front foot, with Jayden Berg cracking a low curler off the left post in the 41
st minute.
The second half was a far more even affair, with the Dinos in the ascendency for much of it, creating a number of chances and shots but only really forcing the one save out of
Sarah Johns in the UBC goal. As such, the Thunderbirds advanced to Saturday night's gold medal match where they'll face the winner of the second semi-final between the Thompson Rivers Wolfpack and Trinity Western Spartans.
"We broke the second half into thirds, we wanted to go in 15's and just make sure we had the control of it," Symons said. "We wanted to keep them out of our penalty box, which I thought we did a good job of. They had some shots from distance and we knew they were going to get after us a bit. They're a very good team and program. We knew that they would push a little bit and we wanted to stay connected and we did a good job of doing that."
Calgary still have a shot at next week's U SPORTS nationals and will face a do or die bronze medal match up on Saturday evening against the loser of Friday night's other semifinal.
Kickoff for the Canada West bronze game is set for 5:00 p.m. PT at Thunderbird Stadium while the T-Birds will look to clinch their first conference banner since 2016 in the gold medal match which begins at 8:00 p.m. PT. Both will be streamed live on
Canada West TV.
