Last year, Women’s Soccer finished the season as one of the best defences in the country. Next year, you can expect more of the same.
After last stepping on the court as a UBC Thunderbird more than 20 years ago, ‘Birds basketball alumni Julie Smulders continues to make an impact on the program. Establishing her non-profit “She’s Got Next” nearly two years ago, she’s driven to promote and support women’s sport — both at UBC and beyond.
After another round of terrible seeding luck — having to face the best team in the country, Saskatchewan, in the quarterfinal — UBC was faced with the No. 1 seed in the tournament in the consolation semifinal. They put up a good fight, but couldn’t fight their way back in the fourth, ending their time at Final 8.
After the Calgary Dinos upset the previously undefeated Saskatchewan Huskies in the Canada West semifinal, the T-Birds thought they had caught a break. Instead, they got the worst of both worlds, losing to the Dinos in the final before being eliminated from medal contention by the Huskies — a game in which they never led.
This postseason, UBC has performed exceptionally well in the clutch. They’ve pulled through late against Alberta and Regina. Heading into the fourth quarter against Calgary tied, they should have been comfortable. They were not.
For head coach Dave Taylor, it had to be a strange feeling. After 32 years with the Regina Cougars — 19 of them as a head coach — he was on the other sideline, coaching UBC in a playoff game. In the end, the ‘Birds came out on top, beating Taylor’s former squad to stay alive in the postseason.
With 30 seconds left in UBC’s first win-or-go-home game of the year, the underdog Alberta Pandas were within a shot — and had the ball. But off an incredible defensive play, star ‘Birds guard Olivia Weekes stole the inbound, keeping UBC’s playoff hopes alive.
With their spot atop the Canada West secured going into the playoffs, the 'Birds were mostly looking for a proof-of-concept game in their final regular season match. They got it — with strong performances on both ends of the court elevating them over Victoria, 79–51.
It was a mismatch from the start, an unsurprising blowout of an inferior team. But for UBC's large class of graduating seniors, their last time on the court at War Memorial in the regular season was still immensely meaningful.
In a dominant performance on Jan. 15, UBC shut down the moribund UNBC Timberwolves in a 35-point win, an expected — but extremely essential — result that showcased UBC's talent on their bench.
Nearing the end of the fourth quarter, UBC held a slim lead against the UBCO Heat — but with 52 seconds left, a foul call would seal their defeat, sending the 'Birds to their third straight loss.
Heading into Saskatoon, the UBC women’s basketball team was looking for revenge, facing the Huskies for the first time after losing to them both in the Canada West final and the U Sports Final 8 semifinals. They weren't able to measure up, as a relatively close game quickly turned into a blowout — losing 80–51 against the defending national champions.
After two early Montreal goals, the Thunderbirds needed to rally to close the gap. They only got halfway there. The T-Birds claimed silver at the U Sports Women’s Soccer Championship, falling to the University of Montreal Carabins 2–1 in the final game of the season, breaking a 42-game winning streak.
In a nail-biting rematch of last year’s gold medal game, the UBC women’s soccer team faced L’Université Laval Rouge et Or in the semifinals at the U Sports Women’s Soccer Championship. After falling down 2–0 early in the game, it looked as though the ‘Birds would be handed their first loss of the year. That was, until Jayda Thompson put on an offensive clinic.
Having represented Canada internationally since 2013, Ivy Liao has had her fair share of accolades and successes — but not much could top when she was in the Olympic qualifiers in 2024. However, while the Olympics would be a dream come true, Liao’s pursuit of greatness in her sport is for more than just the wins.
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