CALGARY – The UBC Thunderbirds completed a weekend sweep of the University of Calgary Dinos field hockey team with a 5-0 win Sunday at Hawkings Field.

The scoreline didn't fully reflect the effort Calgary put in, according to head coach Jenn Beagan.

"I'm really proud of this team," Beagan said. "We watched a lot of video last night, we solved a lot of problems, and they stayed in the game for the full game. They pressed, they found some attacking moments, and I'm just really happy with how they showed up. There's a lot of space to improve from here, but the girls should feel pretty proud about what they put on the field today."

The game got off to a fast start with the Thunderbirds making a quick offensive effort just 30 seconds into the game, but the Dinos' starting goalkeeper Micaela Camacho had no problem turning them away again and again. There was just under two minutes remaining in the first quarter when the visitors made their first tally on the scoresheet courtesy of defender Birkley Anderson.

The second quarter was where the Dinos' offence started to pick up momentum, gaining more access to their shooting circle and receiving opportunities, but falling short of making any magic. The T-Birds managed to extend their lead in the 25th minute from a successful shot off a quick penalty corner.

Camacho continued to have an incredible series of saves as the time wound down to halftime, with a significant moment cutting across her goal line to block out the attack and hold them to their 2-0 advantage in the final minute before the break.

The third started with a sneaky shot popping just under the Dinos' crossbar, putting the Thunderbirds up 3-0 in the 32nd minute. The home team continued to push and had yet another close opportunity with a scramble in front of the net but they could not capitalize on it.

Regardless of their increased offensive zone time nearing the end of the fourth quarter, the Scarlett & Gold ended up unlucky, and it was the Thunderbirds who closed out their weekend sweep with two more goals, finalizing a 5-0 score.

"This is a really experienced UBC team. They have a lot of girls that have played internationally, so for us, making sure that we locked down our defence is number one because we can't do anything on attack if we can't win the ball," Beagan said. "Once we can defend, then we can start to attack, and we can find some attacking phases of play."

Looking ahead, Beagan stressed the Dinos will stick to their structure.

"(UVic) is going to show up however they show up, but our game plan is the same. We're working on our presses, we're working on our outlets, and doing our job right. Who we play isn't going to change how we play, and I want them to play our game."

The Dinos return to Hawkings Field Sept. 13–14 to host the Victoria Vikes. UBC heads into a bye week before welcoming the Vikes on Sept. 20.

SCORING SUMMARY
UBC – Birkley Anderson, PC, 14', 1-0 UBC
UBC – Shannon Stelling, PC, 25', 2-0 UBC
UBC – Kaia Cooper, FG, 32', 3-0 UBC
UBC – Thora Rae, PC, 51', 4-0 UBC
UBC – Kenzie Girgis, FG, 59', 5-0 UBC 

GOALKEEPERS
UBC – Pascale Pottier, 30MP, 0GA
UBC – Robyn Goh, 30MP, 0GA
CGY – Micaela Camacho, 31MP, 2GA
CGY – Madison Forest, 29MP, 3GA

CARDS
UBC – Mikayla Stelling, GC, 11'
UBC – Laurien Bruijning, GC, 24'
UBC – Mikayla Stelling, YC, 48'
CGY – Maia McGillivray, GC, 56'
CGY – Mandy McIntosh, GC, 60'

-UC-