LANGLEY, B.C. – The No. 1 nationally-ranked UBC Thunderbirds improved to 11-0-0 on the season with a 2-0 win over the Trinity Western Spartans Friday night at Chase Office Field in Langley.
In a match that saw just seven shots on goal between the two teams, it was a Spartans own goal and a close-range finish from
Joven Mann that made the difference for the road team. Both goals came in the first half, as the Thunderbirds were able to see things out from there.
Standout first-year fullback
Nicolas Nadeau put the telling ball into the six-yard box for the opening tally in the 22nd minute. While
Max Comsia was unable to get a foot on it, the ball deflected off a TWU defender and in past the helpless Yeshua Silwamba in goal.
The T-Birds then doubled their lead not too long before halftime, working the ball out wide to the other flank where
Markus Kaiser rifled in a low cross of his own that Mann latched onto for a simple finish.
That was all they needed, as the defence held strong in the second half despite some real pushes from the Spartans. The 11th consecutive win is also the third straight shutout for the 'Birds, and their sixth clean sheet on the season overall.
The Thunderbirds have also scored multiple goals in all but one game this season, a stat that they'll hope to continue on Sunday afternoon when they face a dangerous UFV Cascades side in Abbotsford at 1:00 p.m. (PT).
