VANCOUVER – It took nine games but the UBC Thunderbirds have found the loss column for the first time in 2022. Sunday afternoon in Calgary, AB Rachel Barlow broke up a 2-2 tie with a goal in the 68^th minute which propelled the Calgary Dinos (5-2-1) to a 3-2 victory over the UBC Thunderbirds (8-1-0). Nisa Reehal supplied a goal and an assist for the blue and gold while Danielle Steer struck for her eighth goal of the Canada West campaign. Erica Mysko and Jayden Berg also scored for Calgary.
 
Fresh off a 2-0 victory Friday in Prince George, Jesse Symons' club started the match with good energy. Danielle Steer fired the game's first shot onto the Calgary goal less than a minute in, but Caley Leask made her first of three saves on the day.
 
Calgary responded with some positive energy and possession of their own. Ella Djuranic fired the first Dinos' shot on target in the 17^th minute, but Sarah Johns had the answer.
 
The first goal of the match came in the 22^nd minute courtesy of the T-Birds. Nisa Reehal won a foot race against the Calgary goalkeeper Caley Leask for a loose ball in the penalty area. Reehal tapped the ball to her right for the waiting Danielle Steer, who did the rest, converting on her eighth of the season into the yawning cage. Steer's 40^th career Canada West goal tied her with Katalin Tolnai for the team lead. For Steer it marked her 60^th career point which has her five points shy of matching the all-time lead held by UBC alumna Jasmin Dhanda.


 
Calgary showed some strong resolve though, and nearly tied the match in the 30^th minute, but Sarah Johns dove to her right to make a quality stop off Isabella DiPalma. Johns ended up with five saves in the match.
 
Calgary's persistence paid off in the 34^th minute when Erica Mysko blasted her first of the Canada West season home that came as a result of a Calgary corner kick. The kick from the right corner sailed past the left post, but the ball was directed back into the net-front area off a header. After a few shot attempts, the ball squeaked out to Mysko who did the rest.
 
Just over a minute later, Calgary took their first lead of the match when Jayden Berg redirected a Rachel Barlow free-kick home from in tight. Barlow's kick from the right side of the pitch inched past the UBC defense and Barlow timed the kick perfectly and positioned herself supremely for her third of the season.
 
The Dinos took that 2-1 lead into the halftime break.
 
Early in the second half UBC got back on even footing when Nisa Reehal finished off sequence that began in the UBC end with goalkeeper Sarah Johns. Johns sent a long, high kick down the field along the right side. From there, Katalin Tolnai chased the ball down and hammered a hard shot on the Calgary goal. Caley Leask made the initial save but the rebound popped right to Reehal who buried her fifth.
 
Late in the 68^th minute Calgary bagged the final goal of the match thanks to some relentless pressure on the UBC defense courtesy of Rachel Barlow. Barlow forced a turnover just outside the UBC penalty area and made a swift pass to her left to Alison Pedersen. Pedersen immediately tapped the ball back to Barlow who placed a perfect low shot that squeezed past the outstretched arms of Sarah Johns.
 
Trailing a goal, UBC did manage to earn four separate corner kick attempts, but each time Calgary had the answer on defense. From there the Dinos held on to hand the T-Birds their first Canada West regular season defeat since October 15^th, 2021 – A 1-0 loss to Trinity Western.
 
Sunday's setback aside, the UBC Thunderbirds remain firmly entrenched at the top of the Women's soccer standings, and will return home to battle UBC-Okanagan on Friday, September 30^th at 5:00 p.m.