VANCOUVER, B.C. – The UBC Thunderbirds (12-0-1) extended their lead at the top of the Canada West Pacific Division standings with a comfortable 3-0 victory over the visiting University of Victoria Vikes (10-2-2) at Thunderbirds Stadium on Thursday evening.
First half goals from
Theo Afework and
Joven Mann set UBC on their way, before
Max Comsia scored a third shortly before the hour mark to put the game out of sight. The win is an important one for the Thunderbirds as they extend their conference and division lead over the second place Vikes in the first of a two-game home and home series with Victoria.
UBC can now clinch first place in the division, and the number one seeding for the playoffs, with at least a point from Saturday's rematch in Victoria, as they maintain their unbeaten season. A tie on Saturday, or a win by the Vikes, would guarantee that they to finish no lower than second in the Pacific.
"I thought it was a really good performance," UBC head coach
Mike Mosher said after the match. "We came out, we started really well, we dictated the pace for much of the first half and I thought we deserved to be two-up by the half. It could have been more, as their keeper made a save or two.
"The approach from the guys all week coming in to these games was terrific. They trained really well. Focus, attention, and you see a little bit the end product from that today and hopefully more come Saturday."
It was a good first half performance from UBC on Senior Night, as the team recognized its four graduating seniors,
Markus Kaiser,
Yu-Hsuan Yuan,
Kyle Dent, and
Marcus Puhalj in a presentation before the match.
When play began, it was U Vic had the first chance of the game when Yassin Guitouni had a low, long range shot held by Thunderbirds goalkeeper
Jack Garner.
The home side got the opener 19 minutes in on a quick transition play, when the Thunderbirds tore forward after a U Vic attack broke down on the edge of UBC's box. Comsia unselfishly squared the ball to a wide open Afework, who fired it past Callum Weir to give UBC the lead.
The Thunderbirds made it two in the 37th minute, and this time Afework turned provider, laying to the ball off to Mann, who showed some nice footwork to skip past a challenge and make room for a rocket of shot into the bottom left corner.
Comsia almost made it three two minutes before half time, but was denied by a point blank save from Weir.
The Vikes started the second half strongly and almost pulled one back in the 55th minute when Archie Tugwell rose to meet a corner, but
Markus Kaiser headed his goalbound header off the Thunderbirds' line.
Two minutes later, however, and Victoria was undone by a UBC third. Once again it was from excellent transition play, as Afework played the ball into Comsia, who showed nice footwork in the six-yard box to dig the ball out and tuck it away past Weir.
That already felt like game over, but
Henri Godbout almost made it four, spinning to get onto a shot that went over in the 66th minute, before Kaiser crashed another off of the bar in the 77th.
The teams will now meet again at Centennial Stadium in Victoria on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. (PT). Stream the game live, or on demand, on
Canada West TV, powered by BioSteel.
