CIS wrap: UBC’s 27-game undefeated streak comes to an end

You’d be hard pressed to find a larger upset in any Canadian university sports league this year. Not in football. Not in basketball. Not in volleyball, curling, hockey or wrestling.

UBC’s streak is over. The Thunderbirds are invincible no longer.

The reigning national champions were beaten Sunday by the University of the Fraser Valley. Connor MacMillan scored late to ruin the University of British Columbia’s CIS home opener.

Last year, UBC went undefeated en route to a national title, and the T-Birds started the season as the No. 1 ranked program in the country — and is the consensus pick to repeat. UBC had not lost in 27 conference or post-season matches before being shocked by UFV.

And, you would not have circled the home opener against UFV as the game that might give the T-Birds trouble. For the visitors, it was a massive Canada West statement game, showing the likes of UBC, Victoria, Alberta and Trinity Western that the old Canada West order may be coming to an end.

“We were not sharp today, we looked sluggish which was a surprise given we had a day off in between regular season games,” said UBC head coach in a release issued by the T-Birds. “Credit to Fraser Valley, they played well, they worked hard and they appeared to want it a little bit more on the day. It was not a good performance from our group today.”

The loss crashed the euphoria that had come with UBC’s season-opening 4-1 win at Victoria.

YORK SET FOR NO. 1
With UBC’s loss, it is a near certainty that the York Lions will take over the No. 1 spot.

So far this season, York has played four times, and the Lions are 4-0-0, and have outscored their opponents 17-2.

The thing with York is that it’s different players doing it every game. On Sunday, the Lions beat Western 5-1, and Dylan Sacramento got three goals. Mark-Anthony Kaye has four goals, including a marker in York’s 2-0 win Saturday over Guelph.

Last week, former TFC Academy player Jonathan Lao, now in his first year at York, was named the CIS Athlete of the Week after scoring four times over the Lions’ first two contests.

The Lions have depth — and that’s bad news for the rest of the Ontario schools.

WOMEN’S NATIONAL CHAMPS OPEN WITH DRAW
Trinity Western University began the season as the No. 1 seed on the women’s soccer charts; but the defending CIS champs found it tough going in their first match of the season.

TWO was held to a 0-0 draw by No. 10 UBC on Sunday.

TWU’s Krista Gommeringer had the best chance to break the deadlock, but her headed effort found the post late in the first half.

The game marked the head-coaching debut for long-time Canadian national teamer Andrea Neil, who has now taken over the UBC women’s program.