It was a strong first half of the season for the UBC Thunderbirds, who have climbed back to the #1 spot in the U SPORTS rankings with a 7-0-2 record.
Next up is a two-game weekend series against the visiting UNBC Timberwolves, who at 1-9-2 will be eliminated from postseason contention unless they're able to pull a couple of big upset victories. The Thunderbirds won both of their matchups against the Timberwolves last year, and have a record of 6-1-4 against their neighbours from the north over the last five seasons.
The T-Birds are coming off a road trip of their own, where they picked up successive victories in Saskatoon, Kamloops and Kelowna. Perhaps most impressive, they kept a clean sheet in all three games, after not getting a shutout in any of their six first games of the season.
"We pride ourselves on being a team that defends from the front," said Thunderbirds head coach
Mike Mosher. "I am constantly preaching that if we do not concede there is a very strong chance we will win, as we should be able to find ourselves at least one goal along the way."
UBC has indeed managed to find at least a goal in every game, and six times they've scored multiple. Four different T-Birds have at least three goals this season, with
Henri Godbout and
Luke Norman leading the way five each. Norman was fantastic last weekend, providing the assist on
Chris Lee's stoppage time winner against TRU before scoring both goals against UBC Okanagan the next day.
The 'Birds have only lost at home twice in the last five years, although one of those two blemishes came against UNBC back in September of 2022. Still, Thunderbird Stadium has proven to be a fortress in recent years, with UBC 4-0-2 with a +8 goal difference at home so far this season.
With just six games left to play in the regular season, there's not too much more time before the playoffs begin. The Thunderbirds will be determined to recapture the Canada West crown after they were dethroned by Mount Royal last season, and these next few weeks provide the chance to hone in on any and all improvements needed.
"We are in a good place at the moment, but the business end of the season is on the horizon and we cannot take anything for granted," added Mosher. "We need to keep working and improving, and also we are relatively healthy at this stage of the season which is always a plus."
The Thunderbirds and Timberwolves face off on both Friday, October 4th, and Saturday, October 5th, at Thunderbird Stadium. Friday's game begins at 7:30 p.m. (PT), while they kick off at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday.
