EDMONTON – In an absolutely clinical performance from start to finish, the No. 2 UBC Thunderbirds men's soccer team defeat the No. 3 Calgary Dino's 3-1 in the conference semifinal, Saturday afternoon at Foote Field in Edmonton. With the win, the 'Birds now advance to the Canada West gold medal match tomorrow afternoon against the host University of Alberta Golden Bears, while also advancing to the 2016 CIS National Championship next weekend in Guelph.
The Dinos, meanwhile, will battle the Trinity Western Spartans tomorrow in the conference bronze medal match, after the Spartans were defeated 1-0 by Alberta in their respective semifinal.
Titouan Chopin, Manpal Brar, and Zach Verhoven all scored for the victorious Thunderbirds on Saturday, while Bryce Connors scored the lone Calgary goal. UBC keeper Chad Bush stopped four of the five shots he faced for his second playoff win.
UBC entered the Canada West Final Four has one of the tournament favourites, defeating the Lethbridge Pronghorns 2-1 in the quarter-finals the previous week, while also being the defending conference champions. The Thunderbirds showed off that championship class on Saturday, holding the potent Calgary offence to just five shots on target over the course of 90 minutes.
Chopin opened the scoring just 18 minutes into the match, finishing off the breakaway set up by Jules Chopin by gently flicking the shot over Hunter Brett.
Canada West's third overall offence wasn't done there, doubling their lead just 13 minutes later. Titouan Chopin narrowly kept the ball from going over the Calgary back line, before expertly feeding a cross through a Dino defender's legs and onto the waiting boot of Brar on the Calgary doorstep.
The conference's top defensive team absolutely stuffed the Dinos attack out for the remainder of the first half, holding 15 goal scorer Dominic Russo and Rookie of the Year Bori Falaye to just one shot combined.
The No. 2 seed added to their lead in the 56th minute, as Verhoven neatly slotted his off-angle strike past Brett from 12 yards out. Chopin also assisted on the third UBC goal, giving the second-year striker three points on three goals, and Man of the Match honours.
Calgary finally broke through in the 68th minute, despite Russo being held out of the entire second half due to injury. Cristiano De Carvalho fed Connors for a breakaway chance of his own, as he was able to beat Bush from 15 yards out.
The Calgary Dinos were unable to amount any sustained offence in the final 20 minutes, succumbing to the two goal defeat.
The Canada West gold medal match between UBC and Alberta is set for 1:30 p.m. at Foote Field on Sunday, as UBC looks to defend their crown, while the host Golden Bears search for their first since 2011. The two teams battled to a 0-0 draw in their only match this season.
Connor Hood - University of Alberta Athletics