PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. – The defending national champion UBC Thunderbirds (15-0-1) made history Sunday afternoon, becoming the first Canada West team to go undefeated in a 16-game regular season.
Scoring twice in each half, the T-Birds manhandled the UNBC Timberwolves (4-9-2) 4-0 for UBC's ninth clean sheet of the campaign while heading into the playoffs on a four game win streak with plenty of wind in their sails.
In addition to the undefeated milestone, the T-Birds also became the first team in conference history to post 15 wins, surpassing the previous record of 13 with Friday night's victory over the Timberwolves.
"It's a special group. They've worked hard since day one of pre-season, but they put a shift in week in, week out," said UBC head coach,
Mike Mosher, after yet another milestone achievement for his squad. "I kind of challenged them from the start, what was the leadership looking like with the players we lost?
Eric Lajeunesse has really stepped up,
Markus Kaiser has stepped up.
Marcus Puhalj as a fifth-year player has stepped up, and the list goes on."
"Obviously we had first place wrapped up but they had a chance to go and write Canada West history and I'm not sure that will ever be beaten, 15 wins."
Having had Saturday to recuperate following a 2-1 win over UNBC Friday night, the 'Birds had jump in their step to start on Sunday while also rotating several different players into the starting 11.
Timberwolves keeper Logan Pierce denied
Markus Kaiser with one of his four saves of the afternoon in the 13
th minute when the veteran Thunderbird fired the ball toward the right side of the net, stopped by a diving effort.
Kaiser wouldn't have to wait much longer, however, to notch his first goal of the season which doubled the T-Birds' lead in the 32
nd minute. The UBC captain sent a low shot into the corner from 12 yards out, set up on a nifty left footed pass by
Oliver Herbert who himself opened scoring less than two minutes prior.
Herbert's fourth of the campaign was set up by
Theo Afework who played the ball from the side of the box, the rookie's fourth assist of the season.
"We always talk about how deep we are and it was nice to see those changes to the starting 11 come in and were good," Mosher added. "Ollie's been good and progressively better right through the season and it shows with how many goals he's been able to score."
To their credit, the Timberwolves – whose playoff aspirations had already been quashed thanks to a Trinity Western victory over Thompson Rivers on Saturday – pressed and had their share of opportunities in the first 20 minutes of the second half.
Roko Vukic made a pair of saves to pick up his fifth win in goal and fourth clean sheet of the season, holding down the fort before the 'Birds swung momentum firmly back in their favour.
The second-year T-Bird keeper got some added support in front of him when
Henri Godbout expanded UBC's lead to 3-0 in the 72
nd, another low shot which got past Pierce, this time from short range.
Luke Norman closed out a sensational regular season with his fifth of the season in stoppage time to put the icing on the cake.
Having already secured first place in the Pacific division heading into this final road trip, the T-Birds knew they'd be hosting one of two quarter-final and semifinal weekends at Thunderbird Stadium. Thanks to results across the Rockies, the 'Birds will host the Alberta Golden Bears for a quarter-final battle on Friday, October 24.
"Now the regular season's done and it's win or go home time. I'm sure our opponent doesn't give a rip that we've got 15 wins. They're going to come in and have a go next weekend and we got to go win twice to get ourselves where we want to be, that being qualifying for the national tournament once again. We'll get ourselves home, get another good training week and ready to go for those two important games next weekend."
The Fraser Valley Cascades will take on the Calgary Dinos in the other quarter-final hosted at Point Grey with the two winning sides meeting in a semifinal battle on Sunday, October 26.
