VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds (10-4-1) opened up their playoff run at Thunderbird Stadium Friday night with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Mount Royal Cougars (4-4-6) in extra time.
Emotions ran high in the Canada West quarterfinal match-up as the top-seeded Thunderbirds were put to the test against a lively Cougars team looking to secure an upset victory. It took extra time for the Thunderbirds to find the game-winning goal from Kyle Sohi. His stunning 100th-minute chip gave the T-Birds the win and safe passage into the semi-finals.
"We needed to match what they were bringing in the first half and we did that and then some," said UBC head coach Mike Mosher. "Player for player in the first half we weren't good enough. Nobody played really to their potential and in the second half and beyond we saw what our potential is."
Early on in the match the two teams seemingly were attempting to feel each other out. Play continued to be back and forth for the first half an hour.
Mount Royal's Justin Anderson-Louch put the Cougars on top in the 36th when a stray Connor Guiherme pass was intercepted by Branden Canejo. A well-placed pass by Canejo allowed Anderson-Lou to spring through an open gap in the Thunderbirds defence, giving him the chance to slot the ball into the bottom left of the net to make it 1-0 Cougars.
With the season on the line, the Thunderbirds began to pile on the pressure in the second half.
The 58th minute saw the Thunderbirds attacking pressure finally break the Cougars defence. Ryan Arthur held off his defender enabling him to get off a low cross to Mackenzie Cole who fired it into the top left to equalize the game at 1-1.
Zach Verhoven was a menace down the right side. At the 62nd mark the sophomore cut in, then out before getting off a shot that beat Cougars keeper Kyran Valley, but he couldn't beat the crossbar.
Victory Shumbusho suffered a similar fate when he pulled off an incredible spin to get into the box, only to get off a shot that hit the crossbar in the 85th.
Extra time saw UBC finally complete the comeback. Patrick Izett played an over the top through ball to Kyle Sohi and what followed was a worldly chip over Valley, giving the Thunderbirds the go-ahead goal in the 100th minute.
Mount Royal's Jeff Blake had the last threatening chance for the Cougars with a header that Chad Bush safely thwarted.
"Credit to our guys for responding. We made three switches at halftime and we needed and wanted a response and we got it. We're happy to be moving on at this point for sure," Mosher said. "Credit to Mount Royal they came out and gave us a heck of a fight. We'll regroup and we'll start worrying about the next game next week."
The Thunderbirds will continue their quest for a Canada West Championship when they host Thompson Rivers next weekend in the semi-finals.
