With another conference season now underway, the UBC Thunderbirds aim for 2026 to be the year that they end the Victoria Vikes' dynasty. Despite losing just one Canada West game in each of head coach Geoff Matthews' first two years in charge, the T-Birds have come up just an inch or two short of a banner on both occasions.
Now, with a well-balanced roster in terms of experience, and fresh off a rewarding preseason tour against Ivy League programs in the United States, the team is focused and prepared for the campaign to come.
"We're really pleased with where the group is heading into Canada West play," said Matthews. "The preseason tour was exactly what we needed – playing quality opposition in Brown, Princeton and Penn challenged us in different ways and gave us an opportunity to test ourselves outside our usual environment. More importantly, spending that time together helped us build connections both on and off the field.
"We've got a strong returning core and have added some exciting young players who have brought energy and competition into the group. We know how competitive Canada West is, so there's certainly no sense that the work is finished. But I think we're entering the season with a good understanding of how we want to play, what our strengths are, and where we still need to improve. After the disappointment of how last season finished, there's a real determination within this group to take another step forward."
Two of those exciting new players bring some real pedigree: midfielder
Mackenna Brown and forward
Puneet Litt, both of whom are Canadian U21 National Team members. They are natives of the Lower Mainland, with Brown hailing from Vancouver and Litt from Chilliwack. They both also excel off the field just as much as they do on it, earning Honour Roll status as students while also winning Athlete of the Year awards at their respective schools in their Grade 12 year.
"UBC's campus, the business program, and the field hockey program were all big factors in my decision to come here," said Litt, speedy forward who loves attacking defenders with her strong ball-carrying ability. "I believe that being a Thunderbird will challenge me academically and help me develop into the senior-level field hockey player I want to be."
"I chose UBC because of the endless opportunities and resources available that not only allow one to pursue their academic interests but excel in athletics," remarked Brown, who plans to major in Kinesiology. The graduate of St. Michaels University School is a fiery competitor who aims to motivate her teammates around her with the energy she brings to the pitch.
The T-Birds are the last of the three Canada West teams to get their conference season underway, with the Vikes and Calgary Dinos playing a pair of games in Alberta last weekend. While UVic claimed victory in both, they were by tight scorelines – 3-2 in the first meeting and 1-0 in the second.
The blue and gold have a somewhat unusual schedule pattern this season, playing four games in a row on the road this month to begin their campaign, before finally playing their home opener at Wright Field in October to begin four games in a row there. First up are the Dinos, who the T-Birds will face in Calgary on Saturday, September 19 and Sunday, September 20.
"It's definitely a challenging way to start, but we actually see it as a really good opportunity for the group," said Matthews. We've already had the experience of travelling together during preseason, so hopefully that helps us manage the routines around travel, recovery and preparation.
"Ultimately, if we want to compete for a Canada West championship, we have to be comfortable performing away from Wright Field. Starting with four games on the road gives us an opportunity to build some resilience and momentum as a group before we come home for the second half of the schedule."
The Thunderbirds will aim to do just that this weekend, before travelling to Victoria next Saturday and Sunday for a pair of equally important battles.
