VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds kept their hopes for a Canada West title alive, defeating the University of Calgary Dinos field hockey team 3-0 in a must-win game while also celebrating this year's graduating senior class.
 
The quartet of Birkley Anderson, Kaia Cooper, Thora Rae and Mikayla Stelling played in their final Canada West game at Wright Field on Sunday.

Similar to the previous day, the T-Birds started out on the front foot and put plenty of pressure on the Calgary defence. The Dinos soaked it up well initially though, bending but not breaking in the early going.
 
Stelling had a good opportunity early off a well-worked penalty corner but was unable to beat Madison Forest in the Calgary goal. Stelling did make good though on her second chance of the game, weaving her way through the Dinos backline and firing it home for her third goal of the weekend, 10 minutes into the game.
 
The Dinos earned a couple penalty corners of their own late in the opening frame, including one with just a few seconds on the clock, but were unable to convert.
 
Continuing the trend of graduating players getting on the scoresheet, Anderson unleashed a powerful shot from a penalty corner that found the back of the net early in the second quarter. Rae then had a chance to take a shot at goal on a counterattack very soon after, but instead unselfishly tried to dish it to Kenzie Girgis, unfortunately the pass was just out of her reach.
 
The Dinos came out stronger to begin the third, holding more possession in the T-Birds' half of the field and creating a couple half-chances. They were unable to find the breakthrough, however, and the two teams entered the final quarter with the score still at 2-0.
 
The T-Birds added some insurance midway through the final frame, when a Girgis shot deflected high up into the air to the back post where Hazel Taylor was waiting. The Calgary native expertly batted the ball down into the net to put a third on the scoreboard for her team.
 
The Dinos continued to fight until the final horn blew, forcing a good late save from Pascale Pottier in the UBC goal as she tipped a shot from close range up over the crossbar. But despite the road team's efforts, the Thunderbirds held onto their shutout in the end.
  
There are now just two games left in the Canada West season, when in two weeks' time the Thunderbirds travel Victoria to take on the Victoria Vikes with the conference championship on the line.
 
The Vikes hold the advantage going into those games on Oct.18-19, sporting a 5-0-1 record compared to 3-1-2 for UBC. The T-Birds need to take both games in regulation if they are to secure their first Canada West banner since 2017.
  
SCORING SUMMARY
UBC – Mikayla Stelling, FG, 10', 1-0 UBC
UBC – Birkley Anderson, PC, 19', 2-0 UBC
UBC – Hazel Taylor, FG, 52', 3-0 UBC
 
GOALKEEPERS
UBC – Robyn Goh, 30MP, 0GA
UBC – Pascale Pottier, 30MP, 0GA
CGY – Madison Forest, 60MP, 3GA
 
CARDS
UBC – Olivia Okano, GC, 13'
CGY – Julia McDermott, GC, 14'
CGY – Nina Khalfan, GC, 33'