VANCOUVER, B.C. – UBC Thunderbirds maintained their unbeaten start to the 2024 Canada West men's soccer season but they were unable to find a winner against the visiting Lethbridge Pronghorns at a wet Thunderbird Stadium on Friday evening, having to settle for a 1-1 draw.
UBC dominated the first half possession, but the teams went in level at the break with Simon Rolfson's second of the season cancelling out
Tomas Pena's 14th minute opener for the Thunderbirds.
Despite throwing everything at Lethbridge in the second half, and hitting the woodwork three times, UBC couldn't find a second half breakthrough and had to settle for just a point on a frustrating evening for the home side, but another good match for the visitors, who have yet to concede a second half goal all season.
"I'm frustrated, I thought we did enough to win but you've got to get the ball in," UBC head coach
Mike Mosher said after the match. "I can't fault the effort. The guys worked hard, but that's where the growth needs to happen for this group, for this edition of the squad – more timely goals, more killer goals.
"We've created enough in that second half, hit the woodwork three times, but it would be worse if the effort wasn't there, if the quality wasn't there, and it's down to that final act. One thing we keep saying is that we're guilty of overplaying in and around the penalty area. We're looking for the million dollar goal instead of taking a touch and putting a foot through it."
After some slow starts in matches this season, Mosher had challenged his side to come out on the front foot and they responded by taking the game to Lethbridge from the kick off.
Henri Godbout grazed the outside of the left post and Pena fired over within the first five minutes, before
Max Comsia brought out a superb sprawling save from Lethbridge keeper Armaan Thawer in the 7th minute.
UBC's early pressure was rewarded in the 14th minute when
Joven Mann's through ball was picked up by Pena, who finished with aplomb past Thawer from a tight angle.
Lethbridge levelled seven minutes later with their first real chance of the game, when Simon Rolfson just got ahead of
Eric Lajeunesse to direct Will Hughes' cross past
Bennett McKay.
Kai Sakaguchi should have put the Pronghorns ahead in the 36th minute when Hughes' long range rocket was saved by McKay, with the rebound falling to the Lethbridge forward six yards out but he could only direct his effort wide.
UBC came out strong to start the second half and
Oliver Herbert saw his shot crash off the top of the bar in the 54th minute, after some nice footwork around the box. Herbert was in again moments later, but was denied by Thawer's leg save at the near post.
Mann took a terrific touch and turn on the edge of the box, before firing off a rocket of a shot in the 57th minute, but Thawer parried the ball away to keep the scores level. Mann could then only look on in anguish moments later when a
Chris Lee was flicked on to him and his header crashed off the left post, with the rebound bouncing off the UBC midfielder and narrowly wide.
The woodwork came to Lethbridge's rescue once again in the 74th minute when Lee's curling free kick from the corner of the box cannoned off the crossbar.
Another free kick a few minutes later caused panic in the Pronghorns box with Ziad El Hasumi forced to clear off his goalline.
Connor Mrazek was next to come close for UBC, with the ball running through to him at the back post, but he was unable to keep his shot down with seven minutes remaining and that was to be it for the chances and the teams had to settle for a share of the spoils.
UBC are back in action at home on Saturday evening when they take on the University of Alberta Golden Bears at Thunderbird Stadium. Kick off is 7pm.
"We know there's a good team coming in tomorrow," Mosher said of the Alberta match-up. "Again a very well organised team, but a team, probably more than most teams, than we've seen thus far with more pieces and in attack. They'll ask more questions of us. It should be a real good one with a lot of good players on display for both sides."
Ahead of kickoff the Thunderbirds honoured members of their 1984 national championship winning men's soccer team, the second title win in the decorated program's history at the time and the first of three-consecutive championship wins during a dominant stretch for the blue and gold from 1984 through 1986.
Lethbridge stay in the lower mainland and travel to Abbotsford to take on the University of Fraser Valley Cascades on Sunday at 1pm.
