Women's Soccer has been a well-oiled scoring machine in the start to their 2026 campaign. With 26 goals, they lead Canada West in scoring and are second in U Sports, trailing Ottawa by only three goals.
For most of the season, UBC has had no problem finding the back of the net early in games. In one matchup against the University of Fraser Valley Cascades, they scored 25 seconds into the game.
Recently, however, things have changed.
In back-to-back games, the T-Birds have entered halftime scoreless. On Sept. 19, the Thunderbirds faced off against the University of Victoria Vikes, and for the first time this season, couldn't score until the second half. What seemed like a fluke continued a week later, when the T-Birds once again played the Cascades. This time, UBC didn't even have a shot on target in the first half, a far cry from their opening-minute goal in their last matchup against the Cascades.
Eventually, the Thunderbirds found the back of the net in both games, winning 2–0 against the Vikes and 3–0 against the Cascades. UBC has not scored less than two goals in a match so far this season, but with back-to-back slow starts, it's fair to have some concern for the dominant T-Birds.
It's certainly not a pattern UBC wants to continue. In their latest matchup against their rivals — the Trinity Western University Spartans — last Saturday, the Thunderbirds once again found themselves struggling to score in the first half.
But this time, they'd sneak one in right before the break.
In stoppage time for the first half, UBC earned exactly the set piece they needed. Fifth-year midfielder and co-captain Taiya Dennehy took the free kick, sending the ball sailing into the box, right to the corner post. It would be a captain-to-captain connection as fifth-year defender Sophia Ferreira was there to get the header over a Spartans defender to score. In the dying moments of the first half, UBC took the lead 1–0 and was safe from three consecutive scoreless first halves. Barely.
"Getting a goal before half sets the tone for the second half," Ferreira said.
Although they had a goal in the first half against TWU and eventually took the game 2–0, the Thunderbirds could have a problem on their hands. Their slower starts have not had any effect on their dominance yet in conference play, but in last year's U Sports championship final, it was a different story.
Against the Université de Montréal Carabins, the Thunderbirds fell behind 2–0 in the first 15 minutes. They couldn't get a shot until the 37th minute. They scored in the dying moments of the half, but would not find the net again to fall 2–1.
In the playoffs, coming out on the right foot can be the difference between a win and a loss. With only six regular season games left, it's something they'll want to straighten out.
For the Thunderbirds however, it's a matter of knowing what you can and can't control. The group trusts in their abilities as a team to dig deep and find the result needed.
They need to "[keep] confident that we're gonna go out and we're gonna dominate," Ferreira said. "We talk about the tactical stuff in the change room, but when we talk in our huddle, it's a lot about going out there [and] playing our own game."
"If we're playing well and getting in the right spaces, we're going to score," Symons said. "We could have been a team that dropped a bit, heads down, but overall, we kept pushing and we're going to score goals in different ways. And today we did."
Sophia Abiera (#11) celebrates after Maddy Norman's insurance goal in the second half. The goals haven't been coming as easily for UBC in these last couple games, but they got them when they needed them against TWU.
It's about having a consistent process. Early on, UBC had it, soaring out in front with the ball and beelining right to the net. But the Spartans' strong defensive pressure made it a little harder for the T-Birds to advance the ball.
In the eighth minute, UBC earned the first corner of the game and their first look at net, courtesy of third-year midfielder Sienna Gibson. In her season debut, Gibson was first to the ball off the Dennehy corner, and with her quick feet, she kept it in play. As she cut around to find an angle, she was unable to get a shot off, but earned the Thunderbirds another corner.
This matchup against the Spartans was Gibson's return to T-Birds after an extended absence. She missed the beginning of the 2026 regular season, as she was called up for Canada to play in the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Poland.
Gibson saw the field in all but the first two games, developing as a player among the best in the country. After finishing 1–1–1 in the group stage, Canada had a dominant 3–1 win over France in the round of 16, before ultimately falling 2–0 to Korea DPR in the quarterfinals.
"It was a surreal experience ... I'm so incredibly grateful to have been able to be surrounded by such talented players and to be named among such talented players," Gibson said. "I'm really excited to reintegrate myself into the team again."
Gibson was one of UBC's leading scorers last year with eight goals. Although UBC has many great players this season, with Maddy Norman filling in as the team's top-scoring threat and already matching Gibson's eight goals from last year, Gibson's return is a strong addition. She is an extremely smart midfielder who has been excelling since her rookie year, and has particularly been an asset in high-pressure games.
In the 2024 U Sports championship game, Gibson won tournament MVP and in the following season, she won the 2025 Canada West championship MVP. Last season, she helped send UBC through to the U Sports semifinals matchup with the game-winning goal in overtime of the quarterfinals. For the already-dominant T-Birds, with Gibson's return, the rich get richer.
"You could see her tidiness on the ball is just at another level," Symons said. "[When] she gets in rhythm here, she's going to be an exceptional player for us, as she has been the last two years with our program."
Gibson and the T-Birds were playing well against the Spartans in the first half, but it was still a battle. In a scoreless tie, UBC gave up a free kick to TWU in a dangerous position. If the Spartans could convert, UBC would trail for the first time all year.
With the ball just outside the box, after some misdirection, fourth-year Mansha Sidhu took the kick. Sailing right to the net, UBC's keeper Marilena Spagnolo was ready, but not ready enough. As she tried to scoop up the ball, she couldn't quite hold onto it, sending the ball soaring up in the air. The anxiety of a loose ball in front of net quickly disappeared, however, as the veteran keeper was right back under it for the save.
In response to that chance, UBC was relentless, pressing to the net. Apart from their inability to score, their intensity and press were powerful in a strong first half for the Thunderbirds.
"Our first half was exceptional. I thought we were unlucky not to score a few actually," Symons said. "[The] first half was how I like to see our team play."
UBC got more chances than TWU, but especially in the first half, they struggled to convert.
UBC's offensive pressure started with Norman. Only a few minutes after TWU's free kick, Norman got the ball in front of the net, beating the defender and racing forward. She took her time to challenge the keeper before shooting, and in an extremely close call, sent the ball just off the post.
Soon after, Norman chased the tail-end of a long ball, corralling it and cutting to the net. TWU was able to clear the chance, but Norman still forced the Spartans to give up a corner. Ultimately, however, they couldn't capitalize on the set piece. Early on, something was missing for UBC — they were in the right positions, but they couldn't finish at the net.
For her part, Norman was doing her best to reverse that trend. With four of UBC's seven shots in the half, Norman matched the Spartans' first-half shot tally by herself. But the chances would mean little without a goal to show for it. With the T-Birds as a whole struggling to connect, the pressure was looming.
Eventually, it would be their captain Ferreira who came through. It started with her making a touch to Gibson on the sideline, who quickly played it back to Ferreira. Now in front of the net, she fired a rocket just wide — a beautiful play orchestrated by the duo, but one that was ultimately fruitless. Ferreira wouldn't be denied on her next chance, however.
In stoppage time, just after her close chance, Ferreira had a shot at net again, and this time, she converted. With a header, she scored right off the free kick, a superb set piece.
"We got the free kick, and I was like, 'Okay, well, this is our last opportunity,'" Ferreira said. "I wanted to own the set pieces ... owning my marker, getting in front of her, and then getting my head on it."
"To score late off a set piece, which we're trying to build as our identity, was really good to see from Sophia," Symons said.
Set pieces have been a focus for UBC this year, strengthening their repertoire to score. They obviously haven't been perfect, but their play off set pieces has been beneficial in critical moments, including this one.
With the late goal, UBC went into halftime with the 1–0 lead, so coming out for the second half, the Spartans tried to get an early look on net. Off an early Spartans chance, TWU's Kylie Hendricks raced to get the ball first, flying in and colliding with Spagnolo. It was a tough impact, but after a beat, Spagnolo would continue on, earning another clean sheet, as UBC has still yet to be scored on this year.
Keeper Marilena Spagnolo faced some contact early in the second half, but was able to stay in the game and keep UBC's clean sheet streak alive.
This kind of physicality is to be expected in a UBC and TWU matchup — both programs are ranked in U Sports' top 10 with UBC polled at No. 1 and the Spartans at No. 9. The two programs are fierce, and this shows every time they meet on the field.
"The second half was just two top-ten teams scrapping it out and with us in the lead," Symons said. "We just held on well."
Not only did UBC hold on, but as the game's intensity increased, they extended their lead. After a bad touch by the Spartans playing back to their net, Norman jumped on it and raced upfield. With a beautiful shot, Norman's scoring streak continued — TWU's keeper was able to get a hand on it but was powerless to save it. In the 61st minute, UBC was up 2–0, and after a slow start, held a comfortable lead.
With less than 10 minutes remaining, the pressure was on for the Spartans to make something happen. But they couldn't. In the second half, UBC was the only team to have any close chances, playing like they were the team down by two and being incessant at the net.
TWU's first shot in the second half wouldn't even come until the 77th minute, with Sidhu spinning away from UBC defenders to cut to the top of the box, sending the ball just over the net.
In this match, Sidhu was the only Spartan who produced offensively, with four of TWU's five shots. She was coming off a career-best game, leading the Spartans to a 4–1 victory against the UBC Okanagan Heat with her first-ever hat-trick. After that incredible game, she likely would've hoped to keep some momentum. Instead, against the Thunderbirds, she was completely locked down.
With Sidhu shut down, TWU's offence couldn't produce. She makes up almost half of the team's goals, and only five players total have scored this season.
Contrast that to UBC: while Norman is their lead threat with an incredible eight-goal run to start the season, she's not the only one. They have a much wider range of threats, with 11 players scoring so far this season.
Players like Chloe Van Schalkwyk have done well to step up into bigger roles for the T-Birds this year, a testament to UBC's depth.
For UBC, this roster depth not only helps their offensive success, but allows for any player to impact the game. With only a couple minutes left in the match, second-year Ella Santarsieri was subbed in and even with what little time was left, she went to work. While she didn't score, her effort was noticeable.
Her hustle is a great illustration of the Thunderbirds' culture. Every player is always competing at their best. While she didn't score in this one, Santarsieri has been able to take over games from off the bench, coming off a strong game against the Cascades, assisting on the first goal and scoring the second in UBC's 3–0 win. Nearly everyone on UBC's roster is a threat — it's why they're the top team in the country.
With UBC's 2–0 win, they now have two wins over the Spartans, furthering their place at the top of the Canada West standings.
UBC is simply in a league of their own in Canada West, leading their division by over 10 points with 24, going 8–0 on the season. The Thunderbirds are one of only two remaining undefeated teams in the conference, with the University of Calgary coming in with one less win, at 7–0 on the season.
"We've had a lot of momentum since we started, and I think just maintaining our confidence is gonna be key," Gibson said. "Sticking to our principles, committing to our responsibilities, and just continuing to trust each other is gonna be really important and that's been really strong."
UBC has one more match at home before they are once again back on the road. They will host the University of Victoria Vikes for the second time this season at Thunderbird Stadium. Their last matchup was a battle, but with the end of the season looming, these tougher games will become the norm.
"We're now in a really good spot. So teams are going to try and steal points off us," Symons said. "I think every game that we play now is going to be seeing the best of other teams and that'll hopefully prep us even more for playoffs."
