A tiebreaker.

That's all that stood between the UBC Thunderbirds (5-1-2) and the Victoria Vikes (5-1-2) for the Canada West Championship last season, with the T-Birds coming agonizingly close to ending the Vikes' five, turned six-year conference championship run.

The 2024 campaign represented a major step forward for UBC, as the 'Birds picked up five conference wins for the first time since 2017. Geoff Matthews was named Canada West Coach of the Year in his first season, while breakout star Sydney Le stuffed her personal trophy case by winning Canada West Rookie of the Year, Canada West Player of the Year and U SPORTS Rookie of the Year.

The blue and gold battled until the end, defeating Victoria in the penultimate game of the season in regulation to set up a winner-take-all finale, which went the Vikes' way.

"Canada West is a tough conference to play in and all games are important," noted Matthews. "Getting as close as we did last year was a tough situation to manage, but we proved our resolve and resiliency in winning the Vancouver league playoffs. We've shown that we have what it takes to win critical matches going into this season.
 
"We have added depth and skill to our squad and I believe we are in a very good position to be successful in 2025."
 

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One challenge for this year's squad is replacing the team's five graduating seniors from 2024, including two of the great players in modern program history. Former U SPORTS Player of the Year Sanehpreet Basra has moved on after five fabulous seasons manning the midfield, as did goalkeeper Hannah Rumble, who departed after winning three straight Canada West Goalie of the Year awards.
 
"Both athletes will be missed," said Matthews. "We are really fortunate to have two goalies, Pascale Pottier and Robyn Goh, stepping in. Both have been named to the U21 Canadian Junior National Team and bring a new and exciting look to our goalie position. Competing for the starting spot will be a different dynamic, but one that I believe will only benefit the team.
 
"Stepping into the midfield this year we have our top recruit, Laurien Bruijning. Her experience playing in Holland, the top league in the world, will be huge for us. She will be well supported by our Canadian national team athletes - Mikayla Stelling, Kenzie Girgis and (returning for her last year) Thora Rae."
 
Bruijning headlines a class of five exciting recruits donning the blue and gold this season.
 
The 17 year-old from Hilversum, Netherlands has played on Dutch junior national teams for the last three years. The first-year midfielder is expected to be a dynamic presence as a day-one starter and harness her extensive international experience to bring a creative flair to the T-Birds' attack.


 
"I'm a player who helps structure the game," said Bruijning, who plans to study Kinesiology. "When I'm at my most effective I use my first touch, vision and quick decision-making to make decisive actions and help us play better as a team."

Joining Bruijning in looking to spark the UBC offence is Maia Lawrence, a versatile player from Victoria who recently represented Canada at the U21 Junior Pan-American Games. Also set to study Kinesiology, Lawrence will likely start the season at forward and help set the tone as a player known for her work ethic and resilience.

Two new defenders will be joining the 'Birds, Vancouver's Rayna Dhaliwal and Olivia Okano from North Vancouver.

Dhaliwal is a first-year who served as vice captain of the Canadian U18 National Team that toured France last year. Also studying Kinesiology, she is expected to push her teammates with superior skill, athleticism and creativity while beginning the season in a depth role.

Okano is a transfer from Victoria, who has retained her first year of eligibility. A composed and tactically sound defender, she is expected to be a calming presence within UBC's veteran, defensive core. Okano is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts, with a major in Psychology.

The final new addition is the aforementioned goalkeeper Pascale Pottier. She was around the program last year, but is expected to dress regularly this season after moving to Vancouver from Sevenoaks, England. Pursuing an Arts degree, Pottier is a dynamic keeper who will bring her junior national team experience to an exciting goalkeeper battle with third-year veteran, and Team Canada teammate, Robyn Goh.
 

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The first test for the new-look T-Birds is the Calgary Dinos, with the blue and gold making their only out-of-province regular season trip to start the campaign.

Last year, the 'Birds won all four of their matchups with the Dinos, though Calgary did put up a good fight in an exciting 5-3 UBC win in their final clash.

"I expect the Dinos to be a very competitive and tough team to play against," concluded Matthews. "Results last year probably didn't do their performances justice, and we will have to be at our best to beat them in Calgary. They are a young group that will be up for the challenge."
 
The 2025 season-opener starts at 10:00 a.m. (PT) on Saturday, with game two at 10:00 a.m. (PT) on Sunday. The T-Birds' next game is the home opener, when the Vikes come to Point Grey for a back-to-back starting with an 11:00 a.m. (PT) matchup at the Gerald McGavin UBC Rugby Centre on Saturday, September 20^th. Stream all of the action, live or on demand, on Canada West TV, presented by Biosteel.