VVANCOUVER – For the first time on the Point Grey campus this season, the UBC Thunderbirds (1-1) suited up for action at Gerald McGavin UBC Rugby Centre and earned a 41-0 win over the University of Calgary Dinos (0-3) on Saturday.

It was a physical battle all throughout, but Teniola Epemolu found multiple windows on offence for the T-Birds, as the first-year wing landed in the try zone three times en route to the commanding win.

"[Epemolu's] an out-and-out athlete. She's very powerful. With her teammates doing the work, then you get her the ball, she takes a bit of stopping," mused UBC head coach Dean Murten. "She's learning the game, but just a really, really great athlete who will only get better in years to come."



The Birds needed little time to make an impact in this one as, in the game's opening two minutes, UBC slowly muscled their way up the pitch. After a series of passes in the field's final third, the ball landed in the hands of Piper Logan, who faked a pass before turning back on a dime to beat a defender for the early tally.

Angel Boswell doubled the T-Bird lead shortly after by collecting the ball following a penalty near the try zone and then plowed through the defence to tuck in the score.

Looking to respond, the Dinos took their turn slowly working their way up the field, but after a side-entry penalty awarded the ball back to the 'Birds, Epemolu then hauled in a pass near the sidelines and ran more than half of the field to dive in for the emphatic try. With the convert missed, the 'Birds held a 19-0 advantage in the opening 19 minutes.

For the rest of the first half, the Dinos kept the 'Birds at bay, delivering hard tackles to keep the ball in and around the midfield. However, Calgary had UBC on the ropes in the final minutes of the half, as the group collectively inched their way up the field before Bomi Lawal eyed her team's first try. Just as the fourth-year wing hovered over the goal line, UBC's Logan swooped in and stripped the ball, ending the threat while keeping the T-Birds' healthy lead intact.



The second half began with an emphasis on physicality for both sides. The Dinos dominated possession in the first 10 minutes but just couldn't get over the final hurdle to be rewarded with a score.

In the 52nd minute, Epemolu broke through for UBC once again. After a series of lengthy runs from various T-Birds, Epemolu hauled in a sweeping pass to the left side and had a clear lane for the try.

Yet, the 'Birds weren't done there. After Sierra Hasse added to her team's tally just four minutes later, Sarah McPherson made a tremendous run out of a ruck before dumping the ball off to Epemolu, who finished off the play with her third try of the game near the 70-minute mark.



Third-year scrum half Lanae Davenport then closed this one out with another score just before stoppage time, sealing her team's 41-0 win in home-opening action.

"We're going through a bit of a transition with new players coming in this first year, so it's just going to take us a little bit of time," reflected coach Murten. "At times we look organized and very good, and then at other times, we just look frantic. We lost the ball too easily, and our discipline was poor today. Some good things to work on, but again, we just have to be patient."

The UBC Thunderbirds will hit the road for their next matchup as they take on the University of Lethbridge Longhorns on October 1, with kick-off set for 6:00 p.m. PT.
 
SCORING SUMMARY
              1     2     F
UBC     19   22   41
CGY      0     0     0

2' UBC Try - #15 Piper Logan (convert #10 Sarah McPherson) 7-0 UBC
9' UBC Try - #3 Angel Boswell (convert #10 Sarah McPherson) 14-0 UBC 
19' UBC Try - #14 Teniola Epemolu (convert missed) 19-0 UBC 
HALF
52' UBC Try - #14 Teniola Epemolu (convert missed) 24-0 UBC
55' UBC Try - #8 Sierra Hasse (convert #10 Sarah McPherson) 31-0 UBC
69' UBC Try - #14 Teniola Epemolu (convert missed) 36-0 UBC
79' UBC Try - #25 Lanea Davenport (convert missed) 41-0 UBC