VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds got their quest for an unprecedented third straight U SPORTS women's soccer championship off to a winning start at Thunderbird Stadium on Friday evening with a 4-0 victory over the visiting University of Fraser Valley Cascades.
Having recorded a perfect 20-0 record across all competitions on their way to last year's Canada West and U SPORTS championship double, a first half goal from fifth-year
Ava Alexander got UBC on their way in their title defence.
Second half goals from
Ella Sunde and
Holly Whelan had the Thunderbirds up by three by the hour mark.
Hannah Bains grabbed her first ever college goal in the final minute to round of the victory in style.
With a number of well-established players either rested, out injured, or moving on from the program, UBC head coach
Jesse Symons was delighted to get his team's title defence off and running with a win.
"We have a lot of young players that are going to be big time players for us this year, and overall I think they showcased themselves pretty well today," Symons said. "I thought our back four did a very good job and we kept our identity and got a shut out."
UBC controlled most of the first half play, but it was UFV who had the first shot of the game 10 minutes in, with Kiana Langston forcing a save from
Emma Sparrow from just outside the box.
The Thunderbirds found the breakthrough in the 18th minute. Cascades keeper Alana Madec saved a shot from
Maddy Norman off a corner. Fraser Valley were unable to clear the loose ball and Alexander was on hand to fire home the team's first goal of the season.
Neither team was able to carve out any clear cut chances for the remainder of the half, and UBC headed into the break with the narrow lead.
UBC were dominant to start the second half and got a couple of quick goals to put the game to bed when Sunde headed home a
Taiya Dennehy free kick in the 54th minute, before Whelan finished off a wonderful team goal two minutes later.
Kenzie Fitzgerald crashed one off the bar for the Cascades in the 67th minute before
Zoelle Apps saw a shot from a corner saved by Madec with 16 minutes remaining.
Bains got onto a long ball forward from Apps in the 90th minute to chip the advancing Madac and seal the four goal victory.
Next up for Fraser Valley is a trip to the island to take on the UVic Vikes in Victoria on Saturday afternoon. UBC will stay at home, hosting fierce rivals the Trinity Western Spartans at Thunderbird Stadium on Saturday evening (kick off is 5:00 p.m. PT).
"They got a result today late, which shows their character to get a win over in Victoria," Symons said. "It's two teams that will want to be top of the table by the end of tomorrow."
