KINGSTON, Ont. - The UBC Thunderbirds have earned their golden ticket after pulling out a close 1-0 win over Montreal. UBC will play for the 2023 U SPORTS Women's Soccer Championship on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. (PT) in Kingston.
 

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At the start of the match, the T-Birds and Carabins traded opportunities on net, but both keepers responded well. UBC's Jayda Thompson developed some good chances with her speed, but none of them were quite finished. Justine Lalande also put up some good efforts for Montreal, but she got shut down in both shots on goal. 

Then, in the 32nd minute, 'Birds midfielder Sophie Damian sent a corner kick sailing to Montreal keeper Kelly Cantin who deflected it in for an own goal, giving UBC the 1-0 advantage. 

Late in the first half, Montreal tried to respond with increased pressure in the box, but Dakota Beckett showed some aggressive goaltending to help the Thunderbirds keep their lead. Her precision in net earned her a clean sheet.

In the second half, the Carabins laid on the pressure with two solid shots that forced Beckett to make diving saves. The T-Birds responded with aggression and tallied five foul calls in just over ten minutes. The Carabins, with those free kicks to their advantage, did a good job of keeping the ball in UBC's end and had the blue and gold on their heels.

Although Montreal kept up their pressure till the last whistle, the T-Birds back line bent but never broke, allowing the team to hold onto their lead and secure the close 1-0 victory. 

Nike Team players of the game:

• Montreal: Lorie Thibault
• UBC: Taiya Dennehy

With the win, UBC advance to the gold medal game on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. (PT), wtih a chance to bring home a national banner for the first time since 2019. Stream the match here.