The Thunderbirds can party like it's 1998, as for the first time since that year's U SPORTS Rugby Championship, the blue and gold are through to the national semi-finals!
It was a UBC romp in Charlottetown, as they put the tournament hosts UPEI Panthers to the sword in a 72-7 victory.
Brooklyn Roddham was named Player of the Game for the T-Birds, after she recorded three tries and five successful converts.
UBC got it going early, as the newly-minted Canada West Player of the Year
Rachel Smith rolled into the try zone less than five minutes in. That was the start of a series of five tries in just over 15 minutes as the T-Birds blew the game wide open.
In the 11th minute
Shalaya Valenzuela made a driving run up the middle. UBC then worked the ball around to the outside, where
Olivia Sarabura dished it to Roddham who glided into the try zone untouched. The Thunderbirds then made it 17-0 almost immediately after the restart, this time it was Roddham to Sarabura as the rookie set up the senior for the score.
The fourth try came from
Mya Koleba, as the Canada West Rookie of the Year caught the defence sleeping with a clever fake pass before diving in for the score. Roddham then showcased her speed just a few minutes later, as she flew down the sideline past a series of defenders for a try in the corner.
As the first half wore on, Sarabura notched her second try of the game with a mazy solo run right through the heart of the defence. The Panthers managed to get on the board right before the break with a strong power move by Emily Duffy through a couple of T-Bird defenders. That made the score 34-7 at halftime, with UBC still in full control.
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The second half started the same as the first, with a try from Smith. This time it took her just 30 seconds to break through on the left flank for the score. She later scored her third of the day in the 45th, with her two second half tallies bookending a try by
Lana Dueck.
With UBC up 53-7, Canada West scoring leader
Adia Pye got herself on the board in the 49th after she gave a nasty stiff-arm to a Panthers defender.
Alexis Dobson then became the seventh different T-Bird to record a try when she powered through the UPEI defence just six minutes later.
The final score of the day came from Roddham, who capped off her fantastic individual performance with her third try of the day in the 67th. Running onto a long kick in behind the defence, she then kicked it forward a second time to herself and fell on the ball in the try zone. That was how the game ended, with a score of 72-7.
With the victory, the Thunderbirds move on to the semi-final round and are guaranteed to play for a medal! They will take on the University of Ottawa on Friday, November 1st, at 9:00 a.m. (PT).
The T-Birds played the Gee-Gees in the 5th-place game at last season's nationals, and won 39-21.
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SCORING SUMMARY
             1    2     F
UBCÂ Â Â Â Â 34Â 38Â Â 72
UPEIÂ Â Â Â Â 7Â Â Â Â 0Â Â Â 7
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5' – UBC Try – #8
Rachel Smith (#10
Savannah Bauder convert missed) 5-0 UBC
11' – UBC Try – #14
Brooklyn Roddham (#10 Bauder convert) 12-0 UBC
13' – UBC Try – #15
Olivia Sarabura (#10 Bauder convert missed) 17-0 UBC
17' – UBC Try – #7
Mya Koleba (#10 Bauder convert missed) 22-0 UBC
19' – UBC Try – #14 Roddham (#10 Bauder convert missed) 27-0 UBC
30' – UBC Try – #15 Sarabura (#14 Roddham convert) 34-0 UBC
34' – UPEI Try – #3 Emily Duffy (#10 Charlotte Branchflower convert) 34-7 UBC
HALF
36' – UBC Try – #8 Smith (#14 Roddham convert missed) 39-7 UBC
42' – UBC Try – #25
Lana Dueck (#14 Roddham convert) 46-7 UBC
45' – UBC Try – #8 Smith (#14 Roddham convert) 53-7 UBC
49' – UBC Try – #11
Adia Pye (#14 Roddham convert) 60-7 UBC
55' – UBC Try – #16
Alexis Dobson (#14 Roddham convert) 67-7 UBC
67' – UBC Try – #14 Roddham (#14 Roddham convert missed) 72-7 UBC
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