WATERLOO, Ont. – The UBC Thunderbirds have a chance to scale heights the program hasn't reached in nine years as they head to Waterloo, Ontario this week to battle for the U SPORTS National Championship.

The 'Birds open the tournament with a rematch of the 2014 U SPORTS finale, taking on the University of Toronto Varsity Blues before following with contests against the University of Waterloo Warriors and the University of Prince Edward Island Panthers. 

Since switching to a four-team, round-robin format ahead of the 2024 season, all teams will play three games, one on each day from November 5-7. Then, both the gold and bronze medal matches will close out the nationwide playoff on Sunday, November 8.

"We're incredibly excited and proud to have the opportunity to represent UBC on the national stage. This group has worked exceptionally hard, and winning Canada West was an important milestone in that journey, but we're certainly not satisfied yet," reflected T-Bird head coach Geoff Matthews, who is coming off his second CW Coach of the Year in just his third campaign at the helm.



Toronto earned its berth after edging York University by the way of a shootout in the OUA final, while Waterloo qualified automatically as the host. UPEI, meanwhile, had a less conventional route. The Panthers fell to Dalhousie University in their Atlantic title game but were later awarded an invite to nationals after the Halifax club's conference victory was vacated due to the use of an ineligible player.

Despite some time since making their last national's appearance, the 'Birds bring a stacked resume to Ontario. UBC boasts the most field hockey championships in U SPORTS history, with 19 national gold medals to their name, and is seeking their first since 2017. After raising the conference banner that year, UBC battled York University on home soil, earning a sweep in the three-game series to claim the crown.

The Varsity Blues, however, were duking it out for the top spot in the country as recently as 2021, when they fell to UBC's provincial rival, the University of Victoria Vikes – a team that has won the National Championship in six of the last seven seasons, bringing their total to 17. The next team on the all-time list, and the only other program to lift double-digit titles, is none other than the Varsity Blues with 11.

On top of past victories, Toronto is coming off a very successful season. Having dropped only one game all year, the Varsity Blues are entering the tournament on a six-game winning streak.

"We know Toronto will present a significant challenge. They're a program with a strong tradition in university field hockey, and we have a lot of respect for the quality of competition coming out of Ontario."



While this opening clash will be a significant test, the T-Birds are brimming with confidence after piecing together one of the more impressive Canada West campaigns in recent memory. UBC finished with an undefeated 6-0-2 record while boasting a 2.5 goals-for and a 0.73 goals-against average per game – good enough to lead the league in both categories.

UBC also closed out the regular season in dramatic fashion, overcoming a two-goal deficit against Victoria in their final weekend to keep the unbeaten streak alive while sealing the first conference banner in nearly a decade. Coach Matthews believes finishing on that kind of a high note only bodes well for his squad as they make their way across the country on the hunt for national glory.

"We're playing some of our best hockey at the right time, which is obviously encouraging. Going undefeated is a fantastic achievement, particularly given how competitive the conference is. We've continued to improve our performances, become more confident in our identity, and found ways to win in challenging situations."



Throughout the season, the 'Birds enjoyed production from a healthy mix of veterans and first-year players. Fifth-year Kenzie Girgis was named Canada West Player of the Year, fourth-year netminder Robyn Goh earned CW Goalie of the Year, and Mackenna Brown took home CW Rookie of the Year honours.

Now, Matthews hopes all of this will come together as his squad gears up for their first bout against Toronto on Thursday, with the match set for 2:00 p.m. PCT at Warrior Field in Waterloo, Ontario. All games will be broadcast live and available on demand on CBC Gem and CBC Sports YouTube.