Bouncing back from their prior game — a 0–0 draw against the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV), that put the first blemish on their record — Men’s Soccer produced a scintillating display that saw the Thunderbirds secure a sensational 3-0 victory over their closest challengers in the Canada West Pacific Division, the University of Victoria Vikes.
Some great team play from forward Max Comsia saw Theo Afework hand UBC the advantage, before a stunning strike from Joven Mann handed the Thunderbirds a 2–0 lead at halftime. Afework then set-up Comsia to complete the rout in the second half, polishing a statement victory off with style.
Given the congestion at the top of the league table, ahead of kick-off this clash was a critical affair in both teams’ seasons as it could prove decisive in the race to secure both the Pacific Division title and the top record in Canada West.
Prior to kickoff, UBC’s record of eleven wins and one draw from their twelve games was the best in the division, losing an eleven-game winning streak in their last encounter, the aforementioned UFV draw. Meanwhile, their visitors came into this clash on the back of four straight victories, with the Vikes looking to use this double-header to usurp the Thunderbirds on top of the table.
Understandably — given the magnitude of the match — the opening exchanges of the game were cagey, with both sides desperate to prevent their opponents from gaining an early advantage. This resulted in a scrappy affair, with neither team able to control proceedings.
However, it was the chaotic nature of the game that allowed the Thunderbirds to take the lead. A long clearance was chased down by Comsia, who suddenly found himself through on goal with only the keeper left to beat. The forward kept his composure and unselfishly squared the ball across the face of goal to Theo Afework, who slotted the ball home for his fourth of the season to hand the hosts the advantage after 20 minutes.
Comsia’s sustained pressure was proving problematic for the Vikes defenders, as minutes later, his persistent harrying of the backline saw him emerge with possession in a position to drive at goal. He played the ball to Henri Godbout, who skipped past a defender and teed the ball up for Mann, but the midfielder’s strike from the edge of the box was comfortably saved by Vikes goalkeeper Callum Weir.
However, mistakes will be repeated until they are learned from, and despite being made aware of Mann’s willingness to shoot, Victoria did not heed that warning.
After temporarily clearing their lines, the Vikes were slow to push up out of their penalty area, leaving Mann once again with a shooting opportunity from the edge of the area. On this attempt, he made no mistake, as his rasping drive nestled into the bottom corner to double the Thunderbirds’ advantage ten minutes before halftime.
While there was still a half to play, Thunderbirds head coach Mike Mosher pointed to the ‘Birds successful first half as key to their victory.
“Yeah, I thought it was a really good performance,” he said. “We came out and started really well, we dictated the pace for much of the first half, and I thought we were deservedly [up 2–0] at the half.”
That second goal meant that after the break, the Vikes were forced to push forward to find a way back into the game. They almost stole a goal back in the 55th minute, only for Archie Tugwell’s goal-bound header following a corner to be desperately blocked on the line by UBC skipper Markus Kaiser, resulting in the T-Birds maintaining their two-goal cushion.
The miss proved costly, as less than three minutes later, UBC went up the other end and once again punished the Vikes on the counter-attack. This time it was Afework who menacingly drove forward, and after a couple of ricochets, the ball fell to Comsia inside the penalty area. After his selfless play earlier in the game, the forward finally got himself onto the scoresheet, as he placed the ball beyond the keeper to make the score 3-0.
With a commanding lead against one of the best teams in the division, the T-Birds were pushing forward and playing with immense confidence. That pressure again saw Comsia again deliver a nice feed only to see Godbout have his shot sensationally tipped over the bar by Weir from close range.
With a comfortable lead, the Thunderbirds were evidently enjoying themselves, as throughout the final stages of the game, they continued to maintain possession, pushing forward when space emerged. Eventually, the ball fell to Kaiser, who stepped forward from right-back to hit a fierce effort that hit off the crossbar.
Perhaps with both sides having an eye on the following rematch, the game petered out in the final ten minutes. UBC had done enough to secure victory, moving to a 12–0–1 record and a step closer to completing an undefeated season.
Going into their final few games of the season, Mosher emphasized the continued success the team has had throughout the year.
“Our body of work speaks for itself at this stage … that's 12 wins and a draw,” he said. “[It’s] an emphatic win against a good team … It was a very quality performance from our group.”
Following another win against the Vikes on Saturday, the ‘Birds have secured the top spot in both the Pacific Division and Canada West as a whole. This gives them home-field advantage in the playoffs, a crucial factor in their attempt to win a second consecutive national championship. UBC will finish their regular season with two games against the University of Northern British Columbia Timberwolves in Prince George before returning home for the Canada West quarter-final.
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