The UBC Thunderbirds entered this season with the goal of recapturing the Canada West title after falling on penalty kicks to rivals Trinity Western in the championship game last fall.

Well, now is the chance for the T-Birds to take back conference glory, as they enter the postseason as the #1 ranked team in U SPORTS. The regular season wasn't just good – it was historic, as the Thunderbirds became the first women's soccer team to earn a perfect Canada West regular season record (14-0). But now all records are wiped away, and each team enters the playoffs on even footing.

"We have treated every match this year like it was the most important game while we were prepping and playing in it, and now we get to have this same focus for playoffs," said Thunderbirds head coach Jesse Symons. "It's a game that we are really excited to play at Thunderbird Stadium and in front of our supporters and family!"



This weekend is the Canada West quarterfinals, and the T-Birds host the Alberta Pandas on Saturday, October 26th.

The Pandas finished with a 7-5-2 record in the Prairie Division, and were one of only two teams this season to beat the high-flying Calgary Dinos. Alberta has a couple key offensive threats in Adrienne Poulin and Wanda Czebreszuk, who both finished top ten in Canada West in points.

When it comes to points, no one did it better than Jade Taylor-Ryan this season, as the white-hot UBC forward racked up an incredible 13 goals and eight assists in 14 games. She finished the regular season just a single point away from tying the Canada West record for most in a season, made even more impressive by the fact that all of her goals and all but one of her assists came in the last nine games.

While Taylor-Ryan has certainly stolen headlines in recent weeks, the T-Birds are far from a one-dimensional outfit. Second-year midfielder Holly Whelan has broken out in a big way, as her nine goals is tied for third in the conference. Fellow sophomore Bailey Doerksen is fifth in Canada West in points (8G, 5A), as UBC as a team averaged over three goals a game in the regular season.
 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds)

The T-Birds also boast the defensive record in the conference, conceding just four times in their 14 games. Veteran defender Jacqueline Tyrer (who has played every minute this season) leads the backline, while Dakota Beckett serves as the last line of defence.

While the Thunderbirds vanquished all comers in the regular season, this weekend marks a whole new test. The T-Birds have not played the Pandas this season, but Symons believes his team is battle-tested and ready for a fresh opponent.

"I feel we really get the best of the teams in the Pacific division each and every match and that really helps us progress through the season," added Symons. "I am very excited to see the team step on the field on Saturday."

The T-Birds begin the postseason at 5:00 p.m. (PT) at Thunderbird Stadium.