Back on Oct. 1 at Thunderbird Stadium, running back Adam Machart and the Saskatchewan Huskies topped the UBC Thunderbirds by a decisive 43-15 score. On Saturday, linebacker Ryan Baker (14) and the rest of the UBC defence travel to Saskatoon for another chance at the Huskies in the Hardy Cup semifinals. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2021. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

UBC and the Hardy Cup playoffs: Despite its role as big road underdogs vs. No. 4 Saskatchewan Huskies, opportunity knocks Saturday for these young, untethered Thunderbirds!

VANCOUVER — With the ink still just five days dry on a what has been for them a revelatory regular season, the UBC Thunderbirds are being talked about in Canada West football circles as a team of tomorrow.Yet for a 3-3 team which was a fourth-quarter away from opening its six-game conference slate at 0-3, […]

Rising off the turf, UBC Thunderbirds (left to right) Trey Kellogg, Robert Lutman and Lake Korte-Moore celebrate The trio were among the 'Birds best players on Saturday in a win over Alberta. (Photo by Bob Frid property of UBC athletics 2021. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

TSUMURA ON UBC FOOTBALL: A reporter’s reflections on ‘Birds playoff-clinching win over Alberta, plus who’s in line for this week’s Game Balls?

VANCOUVER — A reporter’s reflections on a great day at the old ball yard on Saturday, watching the UBC Thunderbirds finish their six-game Canada West season by getting into the Hardy Cup playoffs with a dramatic, do-or-die 30-27 victory over the Alberta Golden Bears at Thunderbird Stadium.And all of this, of course, not possible unless […]

Not a whole lot went right for the UBC Thunderbirds on Saturday during a lopsided loss to the host Calgary Dinos, yet rookie running back Dane Kapler announced himself as a force, rushing for 161 yards on just 11 carries. (Photo by David Moll property of Calgary Dinos athletics 2021. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

Playoffs hang in the balance! After horrific start in Calgary dooms ‘Birds in 53-14 loss, UBC needs a home finale win vs. Alberta, and likely a little help!

It didn’t take too long to reason on Saturday that the same youthful UBC Thunderbirds football team which had so convincingly flipped the fortunes of its 2021 Canada West campaign over a rags-to-riches two-week span, was perhaps suffering from a kind of collective swoon, the kind most commonly associated with too rapid a rise in […]

UBC guard Grant Audu has paid his dues and honed his game and enters the 2021-22 season as a true team leader. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2021. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Basketball

UBC men’s hoops 2021-22: A new season tips off Thursday with game-ready additions as defending Canada West champ ‘Birds ready for small-ball or tall-ball!

VANCOUVER — They are not exactly a team shrouded in mystery, yet on the night of the final sleep before opening the 2021-22 Canada West men’s basketball season, it’s impossible to have a genuine handle on just what kind of team the UBC Thunderbirds are going to be.And you can take that right down to […]

Hailey Counsell's third season of play with the UBC Thunderbirds will sees her ascend to the biggest role of her U SPORTS career as one of the team's acknowledged veteran players. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2021. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Women's Basketball

UBC women’s hoops 2021-22: War Gym a land of opportunity as youthful, untested ‘Birds open post-Huband era Thursday vs. TWU Spartans!

VANCOUVER — Its veterans are staring opportunity square in the face, and its rookies are going to get a chance to show early all it is that they are capable of becoming,It’s not the simplest of tasks to quantify just how different the first UBC Thunderbirds women’s basketball team of the post-Deb Huband era will […]

After being forced to medically retire following a spate of injuries over the first two years of her NCAA Div. 1 career at Arizona State, Salmon Arm's own Glynis Sim has found her perfect athletic and academic fit with the UBC Thunderbirds. (Vid Wadhwani photo property of Vid Wadhwani 2021. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Cross Country

UBC’s Glynis Sim: After injuries forced her into medical retirement almost four years ago, ex-Salmon Arm harrier back on track at Canada West XC championships Saturday!

VANCOUVER — There were times when Glynis Sim didn’t want to look over her shoulder for fear that she may well have left her competitive running career too far behind in the rearview mirror.After all, when you cut bait and walk away from a promising career in the manner she was forced to almost four […]

UBC receiver Trey Kellogg, carpeted at the edge of the goal line by Manitoba defensive halfback Jarrett Alcaraz, extends to break the plane and score one of his three touchdowns Saturday at the stadium. (Photo by Bob Frid property of UBC athletics 2021. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

More drama, more lessons learned, more proof, following 26-24 upset of No. 4 Manitoba, that UBC Thunderbirds football is once again a program on the rise!

VANCOUVER — The UBC Thunderbirds looked so good off the opening kick-off Saturday at home to the Manitoba Bisons that it appeared like the young team’s continued resurgence was going to be high-pointed with a blow-out victory.Alas, along the way to what was nonetheless a milestone 26-24 win over the No. 4 nationally-ranked Bisons (3-1), […]

Already the leader in U SPORTS passing three weeks into his rookie campaign, the canvas is still blank and filled with potential for UBC Thunderbirds' quarterback Garrett Rooker. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2021. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

UBC-Mantoba Football Notebook 10.21.21 edition: The skinny on rookie QB Rooker, the return of Gavin Cobb, ‘Birds rising WR Robert Lutman & much more!

VANCOUVER — Fans of UBC Thunderbirds football have delighted in the potentially season-changing fourth-quarter of last Saturday’s rally from 23-0 down to beat the Regina Rams on the road 31-30 in overtime and move to 1-2 on the season.Yet this week’s Saturday afternoon (1 p.m.) visitor to Thunderbird Stadium, the No. 4-ranked Manitoba Bisons, showed […]

UBC quarterback Garrett Rooker continued to thrive in the pivot, engineering his team's comeback from a 23-point fourth-quarter deficit for a huge overtime win Saturday in Regina. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2021. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

A SUNDAY READ: After his young ‘Birds complete miracle rally from 23-0 down in fourth for a 31-30 OT win over Regina, UBC head coach Nill says “Maybe now the dam will break”

He is nearing a quarter of a century as a head coach in the U SPORTS football world, and along that journey, UBC’s Blake Nill has seen his share of comeback victories.Yet ask him to find something comparable to Saturday afternoon’s stunning rally from a 23-0 deficit in the fourth quarter to a 31-30 overtime […]

UBC rookie quarterback Garrett Rooker knows his team has to get off to quicker starts on offence as the Thunderbirds' Canada West season is set to hit its midway mark in its next game, Oct. 16 on the road against the Regina Rams (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics 2021. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

After red-zone & special teams struggles add up to home-opening loss to Huskies, UBC coach Nill resolute: “I am not ready to give up on the season, it’s a baptism by fire!”

VANCOUVER — On Friday, the calendar turned to October as the UBC Thunderbirds kicked off one of their latest home-openers on record.Yet in the aftermath of a 43-15 loss to the visiting, No. 9-ranked Saskatchewan Huskies before a sell-out crowd of 2,500 at the stadium, just the team’s second game of a shortened six-game Canada […]