LETHBRIDGE – Playing in their first Canada West final since 2006, the UBC Thunderbirds scored 21 unanswered second half points en route to claiming the program's first ever Canada West title with a 26-12 win over the defending Champion Calgary Dinos.
 
Both teams had already qualified for the U SPORTS National Championship hosted in Ottawa in two weeks' time following the semifinal wins on Saturday but the Thunderbirds will go in as the Canada West Champion and receive a higher seed. 
 
UBC halted the Dinos quest for a fourth straight Canada West title but the Dinos will regroup and look towards the U SPORTS Championship.
 
Nine minutes into the game, 2018 Canada West MVP Kaselle Menin rumbled in for the first score and with Catherine Ohler's convert the Dinos grabbed an early seven-point lead.
 
With UBC pushing into Calgary territory, Shoshanah Seumanutafa deftly kicked the ball forward into space with Emma Feldinger diving on the ball for UBC's first try in the 24th minute, but with a missed convert the T-Birds trailed 7-5.
 
Off a UBC penalty for offside only five yards from the UBC touch area, the Dinos set up the offence and Mariam Ibrahim answer right back for the Dinos only six minutes later with an unconverted try to regain the Dinos seven-point lead.
 
As expected, UBC wouldn't go away quietly. A long build up with multiple phases put the T-Birds in prime scoring area in the final minutes of the opening half but a steal in a tackle turned the ball over to the Dinos and Calgary was able to kick the ball to relieve the pressure and a 12-5 lead at the half. 
 
An early second half penalty on the Dinos put the Thunderbirds on the offensive and the Thunderbirds were awarded a penalty try in the 42nd minute to tie the game at 12.
 
Down a player due to a yellow card to Alyson MacDougall, it was the Calgary Dinos that pressured the full T-Bird side for majority of the 10-minute sin bin, however UBC's defence held strong.
 
Following a yellow card issued to UBC's Rori Wood, both sides played with 14 players aside and it was the T-Birds turn to go on the offensive. Gillian Boag powered through the Dino defence to give the T-Birds their first lead of the game, 19-12 after a Seumanutafa convert. 
 
While the Dinos were up a player following the UBC try, the T-Birds were back on the attack, pushing Calgary inside their own 10-yard line, despite turning the ball over on a penalty, UBC won the ball right back only to get stopped again.
 
Back to full strength and a scrum deep in the Dinos end, the T-Birds added to their lead in the 63rd minute. Rachel Smith picked up the try and Seumanutafa made the tough kick from the far-left side to give the T-Birds a two converted try lead.
 
Sensing that the program's first title was in reach, the Thunderbirds were able to retain ball possession and control the field position for the remainder the half to secure the first title in Thunderbird history. 

SCORING SYMMARY
CGY 12-0-12
UBC 5-21-26

First Half
9' CGY Try – Kasselle Menin (convert Catherine Ohler) 7-0
24' UBC Try – Emma Feldinger (convert missed) 7-5
30' CGY Try – Mariam Ibrahim (convert missed) 12-5

Second Half
42' UBC Penalty Try – 12-12
53' UBC Try – Gillian Boag (convert Shoshanah Seumanutafa) 19-12
63' UBC Try – Rachel Smith (convert Shoshanah Seumanutafa) 26-12

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