VANCOUVER – UBC battled out another victory against the defending CIS champions on Friday night at Thunderbird Stadium, edging the Victoria Vikes by a final score of 2-1.

The game began with the firsts of many close calls for each side. Three minutes in, the Vikes blasted a low ball past a diving Luke O'Shea (Richmond, B.C.), but it went wide to safety. In the ninth minute, the same thing happened at the other end for UBC on a hard shot from Canada West leading scorer Gagandeep Dosanjh (Abbotsford, B.C.).




All season long, Dosanjh has shown a well-balanced blend of hustle and patience, using his speed to get ahead of defenders on run-ins and his footwork to set up plays for himself and his teammates. He possesses the heart, speed, ball skills, and game sense to score goals in a wide variety of ways. His 12th goal this season put UBC up 1-0 just eleven minutes in. His initial shot hit hard against the crossbar, but he darted past several defenders to get to the fumbled rebound and chip it in past Victoria keeper Elliot Mitrou (Victoria, B.C.).

UVIC got one back on a low, soft cross by Craig Gorman (Victoria, B.C.) in the 23rd minute. Cam Hundal (Terrace, B.C.) was credited with the assist. It looked as though Luke O'Shea was screened by the movement of players in front of him, and perhaps disappointed by his defenders' lack of organization on the play. He made some key saves to keep the game even at the half, notably a gutsy catch over top of a UVIC attacker high in the box in the 29th, and a diving stop in the 34th.

The second half brought plenty more chances for both teams. The goalies were put to the test tonight, O'Shea facing 10 shots and Mitrou 13, and each caught lucky breaks with help from the crossbar. With under twenty minutes to go, UBC put the pressure on and controlled the ball for longer stretches. Centreback Paul Clerc (Coquitlam, B.C.) managed to get his head on a long chip in from Marco Visintin (Vancouver) for the go-ahead goal. The Vikes would not go home without another push, but the Thunderbirds held on for victory number ten.

Undefeated this season, this is a team that is by no means growing complacent, clearly understanding the importance of each game to their preparation for the playoffs.

"At this stage we're in a race for first place and we've got a nice five-point cushion going into the weekend. If we win both our games this weekend then we at least maintain that. We're down to the final stretch here so three points regardless of the opponent is massive," said head coach Mike Mosher.

But of course playing a close game was an essential test for the team, and they can anticipate more to come. "As I said to the assistant coaches, here we go, get ready for the ride, this is what we're going to be seeing from here on out. With tight games we've got to find ways to create scoring chances and if we do get up (we need to be able) to see the game out," Mosher added.

UBC has performed very well over the past couple years, but they have come up short in the playoffs when it mattered most. In 2010, they lost in the final of the CIS national championship, and last year a goal by Alberta in the final minute of their Canada West playoff match kept the Thunderbirds from getting back to the CIS playoffs. It is these recent memories that have kept this year's squad determined to live up to their potential.

"I think that there's been a pretty good focus within the group. They know that we have a talented team that has an opportunity to accomplish something. And it was the same thing last year. I don't think it was complacency that got us, but I think not achieving our goals last year, and the year before losing in the national final... those past experiences really create the desire and the hunger this year for all of us," said Mosher.

With three games to go in the regular season, UBC will be back in action again tomorrow night against the Fraser Valley Cascades. The game was originally set to be played in Chilliwack, but will now be held at Thunderbird Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.