T-Birds spoil Vikes’ field hockey party

The Empire struck back.

The UBC Thunderbirds, thought to be vulnerable and in a rebuilding phase, won their fifth consecutive CIS national women’s field hockey championship by upsetting the host University of Victoria Vikes on Sunday afternoon.

The Thunderbirds survived the semifinals Saturday against the University of Toronto Varsity Blues with a goal at the 70th and final minute of regulation time. They did it again in the final Sunday against the top-ranked Vikes, with midfielder Niki Best scoring right on 70 minutes to tie the championship game 2-2. UBC outscored UVic 3-1 on penalty strokes to win it 3-2.

The Vikes were undefeated in Canada West and had a win and a draw against UBC in the regular season. But the Thunderbirds kept getting stronger, upending the Vikes in the round-robin portion of the CIS tournament before delivering the dramatic dagger in the final.

“Sometimes, the bounces go your way in sports, and sometimes they go against you,” said veteran UVic head coach Lynne Beecroft, of the fine line it was Sunday between gold and silver.

“But I do know one thing: We laid it all on the line and left it all out there on the pitch,” added the 1984 Olympian.

The Thunderbirds themselves seemed astonished by yet another run to the title.

“One thing I have been telling the team all season is to never give up,” said UBC veteran player Hannah Haughn, in a statement.

“My teammates are amazing. They stick to the game plan from our amazing coach [Olympian Robin D’Abreo] and you can’t ask for more from them,” added Haughn, who won bronze over the summer with the Canadian national team at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto.

UBC’s Emily Prystupa and UVic’s Lizzie Yates, with her second goal of the national tournament, scored in the first half. UVic had an apparent goal by Canada-capped Kathleen Leahy disallowed in the first half.

Upon later seeing the video, Beecroft stated unequivocally: “It was a goal.”

The Vikes, however, regrouped from that setback when Canadacapped Rosie Beale gave UVic a 2-1 lead at 49 minutes. But then came Best’s last-gasp equalizer for UBC.

The final featured two dominant programs. UBC won its 17th national championship. UVic was gunning for its 12th under the mentorship of 32-year coaching veteran Beecroft. This was the 11th time UBC and UVic have met in the national championship game, with the Thunderbirds having now won eight of those finals.

Haughn was named the 2015 CIS tournament MVP.

Vikes coach Beecroft described Haughn as a “ball magnet” on the pitch.

The Vikes named to the tournament all-star team were Leahy, Amanda Kurianowicz and backfield standout Annie WaltersShumka. They, along with the likes of Beale, Yates and Andrea Jones are part of the current Vikes third- and fourth-year veteran core that is still looking for a first national title.

UVic graduates only Alanna Macdonald, so should be strong again next season.

Beecroft brought in a group of Vikes alumni, including Olympians, to address the current UVic players on the eve of the national championship.

“It was interesting, and it really made an impression on my players, that not one of the alumni players mentioned anything about winning championships . . . they only talked about the friendships and bonds they had developed from playing for the Vikes,” noted Beecroft.

“I would love to have this group win a national championship. But you know, 20 years from now, it’s not wins or championships they will remember, but the friendships they made.”

Meanwhile, the Guelph Gryphons defeated Toronto 4-2 in the bronze-medal game Sunday.