Homecoming battle looms giant as ‘Birds host Rams
Wealthy Lam/UBC Thunderbirds
Soccer
Jeff Sargeant (UBC Communications)
VANCOUVER – The one factor which may be larger than Homecoming 2022 are the stakes for the sport itself because the UBC Thunderbirds battle the No. 6 ranked Regina Rams Friday evening at Thunderbird Stadium.
Following a season-opening 30-21 win over the Alberta Golden Bears, the T-Birds have struggled offensively, dropping back-to-back street video games in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Now at 1-2, UBC faces a critically necessary week 4 matchup in entrance of an anticipated huge crowd as Homecoming returns in full drive for the primary time since 2019.
The blue and gold additionally face a Regina staff recent off their first lack of the season, an 11-10 conflict of attrition in opposition to the Huskies.
“I’ve at all times stated in regards to the Regina program, they play the sport the correct method, they play with lots of integrity, and what I imply by that’s they play the quaint method,” stated UBC Head Coach Blake Nill of his week 4 opponents. “They’re powerful, they’re coached very properly and on the sector you possibly can inform they’re motivated to succeed. Coach (Mark McConkey) has come by it as an athlete and he is picked up the place different coaches left off. They’ll play for 60 minutes, they will play laborious and we’ve got to match their depth on the sector.”
At occasions over the previous two weeks, the T-Birds have definitely had that depth. Defensively, UBC was very sturdy final week in Winnipeg, limiting the Bisons to simply 155 complete yards of offence together with two interceptions. On the opposite facet of the ball, the ‘Birds had no downside working down area, however the finish zone proved to be their kryptonite as the one factors UBC placed on the board got here courtesy of 4 Owen Brown area targets and a pair of safetys.
“What’s harm us essentially the most within the final two weeks particularly has been our self-inflicted errors on the unsuitable time,” stated Nill. “We really feel bodily we are able to compete, we really feel systems-wise we are able to compete, we simply should do a greater job of execution on the sector.”
What has continued to be a powerful level on UBC’s offence has been the bottom sport. The ‘Birds racked up 268 yards on the bottom final week, 175 of these courtesy of Dane Kapler alone who now sits third in convention speeding. Whereas UBC boasts essentially the most speeding yards within the convention by three weeks of play, averaging a whopping 192.7 per sport, the Rams have the Canada West’s main run defence, holding the opposition to lower than 70 yards per sport on common.
Regina’s greatest offensive risk comes by way of second-year receiver D’Sean Mimbs who enters week 4 with 242 yards receiving, the second highest complete within the convention.
Be part of 1000’s of screaming followers as generations of Thunderbirds come collectively to have a good time at UBC’s largest college spirit occasion of the yr. https://t.co/QDUNtM5cQz pic.twitter.com/z5WOyR6OJI
— College of British Columbia (@UBC) September 20, 2022
It has been three years because the T-Birds and Rams met in Vancouver which additionally marked the final time UBC misplaced to Regina. UBC has gained every of their final two conferences together with a 31-30 extra time thriller final October at Mosaic Stadium.
Kickoff for Homecoming 2022 is ready for 7:00 p.m. PT at Thunderbird Stadium. Restricted tickets are nonetheless out there at gothunderbirds.ca/tickets and the sport shall be out there reside on Canada West TV.
