By Rachel Villari (UBC Athletics)

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds men's soccer team defeated the UBC Okanagan Heat 2-1 with a last-minute goal on Saturday night at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver, completing a six-point weekend in Canada West regular season play. UBC is now 6-1-3 overall and 4-0-1 in conference.
 
Gagan Dosanjh (Abbotsford, B.C.) and Kerman Pannu (Surrey, B.C.) recorded goals for UBC with Luke Warkentin finding the net for UBCO.
 
UBC escaped with the win late in stoppage time when first-year midfielder Pannu retrieved a rebound from the Heat goalie Tait Cuthill and pelted it into the lower left-hand corner. Pannu was subbed into the game in the 78th minute as one of head coach Mike Mosher's attempts to spark the Thunderbirds in the second half.
 
"We were fortunate at the end of the day to get that late goal," he said post match. "I'm not sure we entirely deserved it based on our play in the second half, but that's why we put Kerman in, we felt that he could do it. We said to him as he went in, 'you're going to get one chance, make sure you bury it.' And there it was."
 
The 'Birds were quick to take the lead, but then neglected to do much with it throughout the rest of the game. Dosanjh took control of the game, splitting through UBCO's defence and firing a shot in the bottom right corner. The goal was the fifth-year player's third of the season. Dosanjh had three more shots in the first half, including two rockets that sailed wide to the right.
 
Thunderbird goaltender Chad Bush (Ottawa) helped UBC keep the lead in the first. His performance was highlighted by a save on the Heat's first big chance in the sixth minute, when UBCO midfielder Donald Straith beat his way through the barrage of T-Birds crowding the 18-yard box only to be thwarted by the diving newcomer. Bush continued to make saves, including bold ones, robbing Heat midfielder Cole Kingzett twice at point-blank range.
 
Bush had some bad luck in the second half when Warkentin kicked the ball loose from him to net the Heat's only tally of the night. Bush came out to meet a UBCO attacker, foiled his opportunity, but lost control of the ball when Warkentin jumped over him, evening the score 1-1 in the 51st minute.
 
UBC totaled 18 shots with seven shots on net throughout the game, whereas UBCO tallied four shots, all of which were on goal.
 
While Mosher is happy with the six-point weekend, he was less-than-thrilled with his team's second half. "Overall this weekend, I just didn't think we were sharp. I don't think we were connecting our passes, we weren't combining with each other… we just kind of flat lined."
 
But the coach does think that the season is a process, and with lots of new faces – like Pannu, scoring the game winner in the 93rd minute – the team shows a lot of promise.
 
"We're going to continue the process," he said, when thinking ahead to next weekend, which has the T-Birds headed to two-game away series against UNBC. "As always, when you've got a lot of new faces, it's about the players getting to know and play with each other on the field, and off the field. And I think that's what I speak of when I speak of process. It's just us getting to know each other a bit more on the field. And for us as coaches to really get a handle on the players and their positions."
 
With the victory, UBC maintains is position in second in the Canada West's Pacific Division.
 
The Thunderbirds will travel to Prince George next weekend for games against UNBC on Saturday, October 3, and Sunday, October 4, both at 2:15 p.m. PT.
 
UBC Okanagan will play at Fraser Valley (Oct. 3) and Trinity Western (Oct. 4) next weekend. 

IMAGE CREDIT: Rich Lam/UBC Thunderbirds