ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – The UBC Thunderbirds closed out the 2023 Canada West regular season in record setting fashion posting a 4-0 win over the host Fraser Valley Cascades Sunday afternoon.
Sebastian Dzikowski scored his 15
th goal of the season to set a new single season program record while the team posted their 13
th win of the year, tying their previous high water mark set in 2018.
"I'm really pleased for the boys who played today," said UBC head coach
Mike Mosher. "It's never easy to get into the squad in our group and today those guys had to play to help keep our momentum and also help our national seed going forward that might help us down the road. It also helps to rotate the group as needed and ensure freshness for next weekend when it really counts."
Dzikowski finished the match with a goal and an assist, the latter of which came just three minutes in when he made a beautiful one touch, left footed pass out to
Tomas Pena who found the top right corner of the net on a well-placed strike from 28 yards out.
The two point effort for Dzikowski sees the Calgary native finish the campaign with 19 points, second all-time for a Thunderbird in a season behind only Gagandeep Dosanjh's 21 which he accomplished in 2012.
The record setting goal came early in the second half when Dzikowski got a head on an
Eric Kim corner kick, just enough to redirect the ball past Cascades keeper Jackson Cowx in the 47
th.
"I'm also really pleased for Seby to get that 15th goal as he's had many opportunities of late only to be denied by strong saves from the opposition keepers," Mosher added. "He's had a great year and let's hope it continues!"
Bradley Richardson gave the T-Birds a 3-0 lead in the 79
th minute with his second goal of the season off another UBC set piece.
Logan Chung played the ball to Tome who sent it into the area, banking it off a UFV defender before Richardson got his left foot on it.
Rookie midfielder
Luke Norman put the icing on the cake early in stoppage time with his fourth of the season. In a quick transition play,
Asvin Chauhan got a nice touch feed from
Oliver Herbert. Chauhan then played the ball forward for Norman who sent it near post, past Cowx.
Axel Thulin Lennselius and rookie keeper
Jack Garner split the clean sheet for UBC with each playing a half in goal.
The T-Birds will now turn their sights on hosting the Calgary Dinos for a Canada West quarter-final game at Thunderbird Stadium this coming Friday, October 27.
Having locked up the Pacific Division last weekend, a win in the quarter-final will allow UBC to host a semifinal game Saturday night with the winner advancing to the following week's single game conference final, while also earning a berth at the upcoming U SPORTS National Championship, hosted by Cape Breton University starting November 9.
