After four games on the road to start their 2026 campaign, UBC women's soccer had finally returned home — but for real this time. The Thunderbirds had their long-awaited home opener on Friday, Sept. 18, but due to the Homecoming game, they were relegated to Ken Woods Field. On Saturday, however, they were back at Thunderbird Stadium.
Finally back in front of their home crowd on Friday, the T-Birds showed out with a show-stopping 4–0 win against the UBC Okanagan Heat. This effort was powered by forward Jayda Thompson, who earned a brace in a great start to a stellar first weekend at home.
Saturday's game was almost like a second home opener for the T-Birds, who were playing in the stadium where they will later host the U Sports national championship. For this special occasion in front of a spirited crowd, UBC unveiled new kits designed by co-captain Sophia Ferreira and midfielder Holly Whelan and inspired by the UBC campus and the Thunderbirds.
"Going into the game today, knowing that we're playing at Thunderbird Stadium, on our actual home turf, there was a lot of excitement to get after it, and just prove that this is our pitch," third-year forward Maddy Norman said.
"The atmosphere today was so awesome, the cheering really hyped us up right from the beginning and kept us going through the second half, especially," third-year midfielder Bailey Doerksen said. "It's really special knowing that this is where the national finals could be. That's something that we're really looking forward to, and then kind of using it to our advantage at home."
In their second home match, UBC faced off against the University of Victoria Vikes for the first time this season. UVic started their 2026 campaign with some tough competition, battling to three draws. The Thunderbirds knew that the Vikes would put up a fight, and they certainly did, even if UBC eventually came out on top 2–0.
Victoria kept the T-Birds' usual tidal wave of scoring at bay, with the game remaining scoreless into halftime. This marked the first time this season UBC didn't score in the first half.
In fact, the majority of their goals before this game were scored in the first half. Thirteen of their 19 goals thus far this season have come in the first half, with six of those goals being scored in the first 15 minutes of the match. The Thunderbirds have come out on the right foot more than once, always raring to go from the kickoff.
That made Victoria's first half all the more impressive. From the first whistle through to the end of the first half, UBC did well to hold possession and stay in control of the match, but Victoria didn't make it easy for them. The Vikes did well to hold a tight defence, forcing UBC to keep the ball moving and constantly play the ball back to stay in control. Because of this, the Vikes kept the Thunderbirds from quickly pushing straight to the net in the first few moments of the match, as UBC had done in recent games.
The Vikes did well to keep UBC off the scoreboard in the first half, preventing the ever-dangerous 'Birds from driving to the net early on.
Although the Thunderbirds couldn't score in the first half, they still had some chances. They mustered six shots in the opening 45, with their first sight on net coming early on. Only a few minutes in, Doerksen set up Norman beautifully right in front of the net. With no Vikes defenders in front of her, it seemed like Norman would get them on the board right away with the first shot of the game. The ball rocketed right at goal, but UVic keeper Stefanie Mocnik was there, moving quickly to tip it up off the crossbar and out for the save.
UBC's set pieces to Norman in front of the net have been deadly to start this season, and that continued early in this match. Norman has elevated her play so far this season, coming off a five-point weekend and continuing to excel in this one, eventually earning two more points.
"[Norman's] been so focused on being in the right spaces, and really being a playmaker and a goal scorer," head coach Jesse Symons said. "We gave her a big job to become a new nine, and much like past players that have played that position, she's stepping up and really leading from the front."
The nine position — also known as the striker or centre forward — has been an excellent fit for Norman. She is leading UBC's offence and is on track for big numbers this season, with six goals and five assists in only six games to start the 2026 campaign.
"I wouldn't be able to do any of it without my teammates," Norman said. "I just seem to be the one that's able to get on the end of all of their passes, but if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be on the top of the leaderboard ... and if they keep doing their thing, I'll keep rewarding them with assists."
Doerksen — another standout against Victoria and a whiz playmaker for the T-Birds — quickly went back to work after her near-assist to Norman. With another great setup, she placed a cross into the middle to find Thompson for a header. Finding Thompson was the right idea for the Thunderbirds — especially after her brace on Friday — but it was not quite the right execution, as it was an easy save for Mocnik.
Soon after, Doerksen raced in from behind a UVic player to cleanly strip the ball away, before turning and setting up a teammate. The hustle that Doerksen has on the field is a massive asset for UBC. Her gritty play usually pays off, and it did in this one, as she would go on to score the first goal of the match — ultimately the game-winner.
However, for a while, that game-winner seemed like it would never come. On some of UBC's best chances of the day, the T-Birds continued to be stymied, with back-to-back chances almost 30 minutes into the match not coming to fruition. Second-year defender Sophie Harrison set up one of those chances, receiving a long ball at the end line and keeping it in play with a quick pass back to Doerksen. Left completely open, Doerksen quickly placed a cross for a header attempt, but the T-Birds were still unable to connect.
The T-Birds weren't short on chances early on — but none of them found the back of the net.
Nearing the end of the first half, both teams were feeling the pressure, not wanting to go into halftime scoreless. For a moment, it looked like UVic would be the first team to relieve that pressure, as the Vikes got a rare sight at goal. From distance, the Vikes' Hannah Harper fired off a rocket once an opening arose. However, UBC's fifth-year transfer keeper Marilena Spagnolo was there to save it. That 39th-minute shot would be Victoria's first and only of the first half.
With no real injury time, the half ended right at the 45-minute mark, and the game remained scoreless. Although by most measures the Thunderbirds had been dominating, the score had yet to reflect that.
UBC had all the offensive pressure. Their high press and man defence kept them in control for most of the match, even with the score 0–0.
Both teams certainly had lots to talk about, with UBC needing to figure out how to finally find the back of the net.
"It was a good test for us to kind of build into a second half going goalless," Doerksen said. "It was really good, mindset shift-wise, and we really pushed at the beginning of that second half."
That push was immediately evident, with UBC going right back on the attack. However, they weren't the only ones to find some second-half momentum, with Victoria looking for their own opportunity to strike.
Early in the half, the Vikes got a free kick. The Vikes sent the ball sailing into the box, and as UBC tried to clear it with a header, it almost had the opposite effect, sending the ball right in front of the net for the Vikes. Despite the danger, Spagnolo was there for the catch. Surprisingly, after their lack of offence in the first half, UVic had the first shot of the second, putting Spagnolo to the test right away.
After that scare, however, it wasn't long before UBC finally earned their first goal. In the 53rd minute, Doerksen got the ball and pushed UBC forward, racing up the field and sending the ball to Norman in the corner. Off a well-timed pass, Norman sent it right back to Doerksen in front of the net, and with a quick touch, Doerksen put it in the back of the net to get UBC on the board.
"Bailey's started this season so exceptional," Symons said. "Doesn't seem like she's had a year off ... with how she's been performing and playing."
This season is extra special for Doerksen, as she is coming back from injury. Doerksen tore her ACL and had to sit out the entire 2025 season. As Symons noted, since returning, she hasn't missed a beat in her comeback this season, putting on a clinic alongside Norman in this match.
"It's honestly a beautiful feeling, coming back, especially with this team," Doerksen said. "From the coaching staff to my team, it's driven me to come back stronger."
Further into the second half, UBC's chances didn't stop. With five back-to-back corners, getting a shot off almost every one, UBC couldn't capitalize as they have in other matchups this season.
These missed opportunities were the theme of their game. Openings kept coming, and the Thunderbirds had shot after shot. Sophia Abiera — after just subbing on — found herself in front of the net with a scoring chance. She connected for a header, and as it went off the bar, UBC got the ball back. Although they didn't score on this setup, the T-Birds continued their attack.
Sophia Abiera (#11) wasn't able to convert on her first chance, but Norman corralled the rebound to put the T-Birds up by two late.
As the ball deflected out, UVic tried to head it clear, but instead sent the ball right to Norman's feet. With a defender at her back, facing away from the goal, she took a second to steady herself. After so many close chances on net, she knew she couldn't hesitate — she turned quickly and shot, scoring a second goal for UBC.
That goal came with less than 10 minutes left in the match, and the T-Birds closed out the contest in a 2–0 win, with Norman's sixth goal of the season serving as the insurance tally. Leading the Thunderbirds in scoring and Canada West in every offensive category, Norman is having a phenomenal season. She had been strong all game, but she was particularly impressive in the second half, helping UBC turn it around.
"We showed more of who we are, and really put the foot on the pedal," Symons said. "Full credit to the team to step up a bit and get after it."
In the final moments of the match, second-year defender Heike Clarke made an incredible defensive move to cut off a UVic player rushing to score. With a slide tackle, Clarke saved the scoring chance, but sent the ball out for a Vikes corner. Although they held a comfortable lead, UBC's clean-sheet streak was on the line in the final minutes.
It was a well-placed ball by the Vikes, soaring right into the box. It was close, but nothing came out of it. UBC cleared the chance and would ultimately hold strong once again to keep their clean-sheet streak and move to 6–0 to start the season with the 2–0 win.
It would be hard to characterize this one as a scare, but it's the closest game UBC has played thus far this season, as they continue to roll through the conference.
"We want to win the division and set ourselves up for playoffs," Symons said. "We've got a good streak going here to hopefully make that happen."
"Good streak" might be putting it lightly. The Thunderbirds hold 40 straight conference wins and 21 consecutive Canada West regular-season clean sheets. The T-Birds have completely carved out a space of their own in this league as a dominant team, and they'll hope to continue that for the rest of this season.
UBC will stay at home for their next two matchups, facing off against local opponents in the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades, followed by their rivals, the Trinity Western University Spartans.
Both matchups will be the T-Birds' second meetings with these programs this season, with both prior contests ending with solid wins for UBC. Even still, the Thunderbirds are focused on getting ready to compete and show up at their best. The T-Birds have their sights set high for the end of the season, which means they need to continue to get results week in and week out.
"A lot of things we still need to work on, but a lot of things we're doing well," Norman said. "Going through this week of training with a mindset that we don't want any point in the season to drop, and that we just want to keep going and working together.
