For the first time since Oct. 31, 2025, the T-Birds are back home. After a prolonged stretch on the road to start the season, the T-Birds finally returned to the UBC campus, playing on the scenic Ken Woods Field.
Facing off against the UBCO Heat, the Thunderbirds continued their 20-match stretch of clean sheets over Canada West opponents in the regular season, taking this one 4–0.
Both teams have opened the season with interesting schedules. While the T-Birds entered their fifth match of the season as road warriors, playing their first four contests away from home, UBCO prepped to enter only their third game of the season, having played only at home thus far. For UBC head coach Jesse Symons, however, this scheduling quirk has its benefits.
"Four of seven away games are out of the way, so we are hoping we get in a good routine as a team and find ways to get better as we go." To further Symons' point, UBC might not have to leave campus much more this season, even in the playoffs, with the U Sports women's soccer national championship beginning on Nov. 12 at UBC.
Prior to kickoff, UBC and UBCO had already faced off once, opening the season on Sept. 4 in Kelowna where UBC won 3–0.
UBCO entered Friday winless, coming off a disappointing match where they fell to Thompson Rivers WolfPack 2–1, with their lone goal courtesy of Megan Sun. For the team in Point Grey, their last two matches presented a different story and a frightening outlook for the Heat.
UBC had to be happy to return home, playing their last four games on the road.
Last weekend saw the Thunderbirds wallop UFV and UNBC, both by a score of 5–0. Both matches were out of hand early, a testament to the lopsided skill differential between UBC and their Canada West opponents. Before their home opener, this young season has seen UBC score 15 goals and allow zero in four games.
Against the Heat, while the game stats present a lopsided victory, the first 13 minutes were anything but. Symons praised the Heat's performance, saying "[UBCO] passed the ball well, they move well, they got numbers around the ball. [We] had to think and scan."
Unfortunately for the Heat, however, they couldn't translate their excellent movement to the scoreboard. UBCO would have their first and only shot of the match off an inoffensive effort from Heat defender Caitlyn Chiu, which travelled wide.
Early on, another highlight for the Heat was defence, keeping the possession-leading Thunderbirds to the periphery with tight presses, patient passing plays, and decisive tackles. But you can't keep the second-highest scoring team in the country down for long. As the game went on, hints of a Thunderbird breakthrough overshadowed the Heat's effort.
The Heat held their own, but not for long. UBC's pressure on both ends eventually wore down their sister school from Kelowna.
The Thunderbirds were testing their incredible pace early. In the third minute, Thompson took possession of the ball, sprinted up the left flank, and kicked a forward ball to a rushing Bailey Doerksen. She continued her run, surveying the pitch for options near the net, but was thwarted by a whistle for offsides. She stood past the goal line, looking up in exasperation.
Ten minutes in and the Heat began to show fatigue. After a T-Birds throw-in, a pretty tiki-taka passing play between Sophie Harrison, Nina Rhode, and Felicia Hanisch caught the defenders ball watching. Driving in the middle of the pitch towards the penalty box, Heat midfielder Aileen Ryou caught Hanisch's feet from behind on a desperation tackle. The referee, blowing his whistle and beckoning for the ball, pointed to the turf for a Thunderbird free kick, a metre away from the left corner of the box. The chatter on the UBC sideline began, with Symons commanding for forward pressure.
Last Sunday against UNBC, the Thunderbirds scored four elegant corner kick goals, and all 10 of their corner kicks were drawn up with elegance and authority. Star defender Sophia Ferreira led the way off those set pieces, heading in two of the three corner kick goals. While not a corner kick, the set up of the play harkened back to the successes of last match. Every set piece in this match was a nail-biter for the Heat and a must-watch for the Thunderbirds and their fans.
Harrison took the kick — a high cross finding Ferreira. It was a strong header — but despite the solid contact, she just missed wide.
They'd get another chance. Only a couple minutes later, the Thunderbirds were given another free kick from an aggressive push from behind by Heat forward Maria Georgacacos on Harrison. Chatter erupted again on the sidelines. Commands were called, directions received.
Taiya Dennehy walked toward the ball, marked the spot, and stepped back, scanning the field. From a distance, she delivered a dangerous cross into the box for the Canada West leader in goals, Maddy Norman. While in traffic, Norman quickly passed the ball to her left, finding Rhode, who blasted the ball towards the goal. UBCO keeper Allyson Ford dove to her left, but she wasn't quick enough. Rhode had scored her first as a Thunderbird, and put the 'Birds up 1–0.
The dangerous set pieces continued for the rest of the half, including a set-up that led to a powerful shot from Chloe Van Schalkwyk, but this time, it was saved neatly by Ford.
Post-game, Symons said that the team wanted to improve on their set pieces this year and "make [them] an identity."
"We thought we [had] a little bit of a gap last year ... with our set pieces, so this year, its been something we really want to emphasize [with] both free kicks and corners."
UBC has been excellent off set pieces this season, with head coach Jesse Symons pointing to corners and free kicks as a point of emphasis in the offseason.
After their opening goal, the floodgates opened for UBC. Rhode had another dangerous opportunity after a high pass from Van Schalkwyk found her in the box. She then smashed a rocket of a shot — Ford didn't even have a chance to move. But with a loud bang, the ball rang off the bar and out.
In the 34th minute, another chance opened up for the Thunderbirds. While the Heat defenders passed the ball among themselves, Thompson walked to her right and surveyed the field. Then she jumped into the play. While sprinting forward, Thompson intercepted the ball, beginning a give-and-go with Doerksen.
Getting the ball back, Thompson found her way inside the box. With her blazing speed, she split the defence, with only Ford to beat. Thompson juked to her left before kicking the ball to her right, breaking the keeper's ankles and depositing the ball into the empty net after a stunning effort.
Thanks to Thompson's highlight reel tally, the half concluded with UBC leading 2–0.
The second was more of the same, with the Thunderbirds pressing hard, and the Heat defending desperately. But they couldn't hold off a third goal for long.
The Heat passed the ball among themselves, faced with persistent pressure from Hanisch. That pressure forced the Heat to send sending an unfortunate pass to the one player you wouldn't want to have the ball: Jayda Thompson. While surrounded by defenders, she dribbled the ball just outside the box and left it for Harrison, who released a knuckle shot. It wasn't the cleanest effort, but it somehow got by Ford for the outstanding sophomore's first of the season.
Sophie Harrison (#8), who was spectacular as a rookie, has continued to excel in her sophomore season, notching her first goal of the year against UBCO.
The sloppy defensive passing from UBCO would prove costly once again. The 69th minute saw a near-identical play, stemming from another giveaway from the UBCO defence as a result of heavy UBC pressure. Eventually, after forcing the turnover and retreating back to their own end, a long ball from Sabrina Nascimento Carreira found the speedy Thompson who corralled the ball. Ford charged out in challenge, but Thompson anticipated it. She stepped to her right, dodging the incoming Ford, and hammered the ball while falling into the back of the net.
Thompson finished the night with three shots on goal, two goals, and one assist. Her pace and skills were evident in the match, as she put on a playmaking clinic — and her coach was extremely complimentary of her play post-game. "Jayda Thompson had a [breakout] game, she's been very close, but today, she really showcased her talent."
While allowing four goals, Ford had a great game, making six saves, including a remarkable diving save high to her left off a shot from Norman. Despite playing the No. 1 team in the country, she didn't show any nerves with her high challenges and communication with her defence. She would like to have back the last two goals, but her aggressiveness in net brought her success against a very strong Thunderbird team.
While Thompson and the offence were the stars against UBCO, the T-Birds' defence was spectacular as well, allowing only one shot and zero shots on goal.
Zoelle Apps, Ferreira, Harrison, and Carreira played their roles as enforcers and hard defenders to a spectacular extent. Their hard tackles were clean, but physical. Their full team defence was visible with the pressure at all levels of the pitch, causing coughed-up balls, won battles, and intercepted passes.
After winning their fifth game of the season, the Thunderbirds played the following day in Victoria against the UVic Vikes. The latter came into that one winless with three ties, and they didn't fare much better against the T-Birds, falling 2–0, as UBC continued their dominance and streak of clean sheets against Canada West opponents.
Combining their effective set pieces, extreme pace, and offensive and defensive pressure, the UBC Thunderbirds remain uncontested against Canada West opponents.
