Over a UBC soccer career in which he has taken a redshirt season and a two-year sabbatical, Surrey's Sean Einarsson is looking to win a national title for the first time since 2013. The 'Birds journey continues this week with the Legend's Cup series against Victoria. (Photo by Ben Nelms property of UBC athletics 2019. All rights reserved)
Feature University Men's Soccer

Book-ends forged in gold? For UBC midfielder Sean Einarsson, a return to Thunderbird nation could well include a fairy-tale finish!

VANCOUVER —  When Sean Einarsson decided to return to the home of Canada’s most decorated men’s university soccer program two seasons ago, it was with the hope that he could fashion a finish to his career which would be every bit as satisfying as its storybook start.It was back in 2013 when the redshirt freshman […]

The Simon Fraser Clan offensive line got attacked along its youthful edges Saturday in a GNAC loss at league-leading Western Oregon. (Photo by Paul Yates property of Simon Fraser Clan athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

Simon Fraser football: WOU’s pass-rushing Wolves bring pressure galore as QB Niksich and Clan fall to GNAC leaders

Despite all of the growing pains which have been part and parcel of the first half of their Great Northwest Athletic Conference season, Simon Fraser Clan freshman quarterback Brandon Niksich still managed to find a way to pass for more yards than any pivot in the conference.On Saturday afternoon in Monmouth, Ore., however, things felt […]

UBC quarterback Gabe Olivares passed for 300-plus yards in leading the Thunderbirds to the first win of their 2019 Canada West season Friday in Regina. (Photo by Trevor LaFramboise property of Regina athletics 2019. All rights reserved)
Feature University Football

UBC football impresses with season’s first victory, yet despite win in Regina, Thunderbirds eliminated from Canada West playoffs

Its Canada West football playoff hopes may have evaporated with just two more conference games remaining, yet the UBC Thunderbirds discovered they still had enough heroic karma left in the tank of a frustrating season to pick up their first victory of 2019.“We tried our best to give it to them,” ‘Birds head coach Blake Nill […]

Simon Fraser quarterback Brandon Niksich has shown a great touch on his deep ball, Now he's working on cutting back on his interceptions. (Photo by Paul Yates property of Simon Fraser Clan athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

Simon Fraser’s Brandon Niksich: Clan’s rookie QB, growing up quickly in the huddle, says “…I can’t be a freshman anymore”

BURNABY — Brandon Niksich signed up for a football adventure when he answered the recruiting call of the Simon Fraser Clan this past off-season.

TWU midfielder Domenic Poletto, while still nursing his way back to the lineup following a torn ACL, is all smiles about the future of Spartans' soccer and its class of blue-chip freshen players. (Photo by Scott Stewart property of Trinity Western athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Men's Soccer

Renaissance in Sparta: Through the eyes of injured vet Poletto, blue-chip rookie class symbolizes a re-birth for Trinity Western men’s soccer

LANGLEY — Domenic Poletto was at a career crossroads late this past summer, but getting a chance to see the future of Spartans’ men’s soccer has him counting the days until his official return.Trinity Western’s leading point-getter a season ago as a standout central midfielder, Poletto had been a driving force in the resurgence of […]

UBC quarterback Gabe Olivares and the rest of the Thunderbirds endured a tough fourth quarter Saturday in a loss to the visiting Alberta Golden Bears. (Photo by Bob Frid property of UBC athletics 2019. All rights reserved)
Feature University Football

UBC football: After late collapse to Alberta, what’s most key for 0-5 ‘Birds over final three games? Forging a team identity for 2020

VANCOUVER — Over the window of their academic careers on the Point Grey campus, forestry students at UBC can put in the long hours required towards earning a Masters degree in the sustainable management of one of our province’s great natural resources.Over at Thunderbird Stadium, however, a whole other group of UBC students are attempting […]

On Clan football's annual team photo day, junior linebacker Griffin Barrett so perfectly symbolized his persona by holding a shovel on his shoulders. (Photo by Kendra Ho property of Simon Fraser athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

SFU’s Griffin Barrett: Why carrying a shovel on his shoulders is so meaningful for the Clan junior linebacker and GNAC tackling leader

BURNABY — Griffin Barrett couldn’t help but smile his best smile earlier this season, when on the Simon Fraser Clan football team’s picture day, he was handed what can only be described as the perfect prop just before taking his place in front of the camera and those flashing studio lights.Yup, you’re looking at it. […]

Fraser Valley Cascades' rookie Bryana Buttar (centre) has played like a veteran over the first six matches of the 2019 Canada West season. (Photo by Dan Kinvig property of University of the Fraser Valley athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature High School Girls Soccer University Women's Soccer

Cascades are better with Bryana Buttar in the batter! Rookie a rare ingredient as UFV hunkers for huge weekend homestand vs. UBC, UVic

ABBOTSFORD — With the same clockwork precision she has shown at every key stage of her soccer career, Bryana Buttar has once again arrived ahead of her time.“I definitely feel that my whole youth career has set me up for this,” the Fraser Valley Cascades’ dynamic midfielder remarked Wednesday of the opportunity she has seized […]

For Trinity Western's Joanna Williams, a courageous decision to speak about her mental health struggles has put her in a joyful place, one where she has left her worries behind her. (Photo by Bailey Broadbent property of Trinity Western athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Cross Country

A Sunday Read: TWU’s Joanna Williams confronts her mental health struggles and says “I think there is something so beautiful about feeling strong”

LANGLEY — She’d never had this feeling before.For the first seven seasons of her competitive running life, Joanna Williams had tried to justify the myriad reasons that she trained and she raced, yet in her deepest place, they had all rung hollow.But this new feeling? What was it? She’d never had this feeling before.Two Saturday mornings […]

The SFU defence, led by the likes of defensive back Matt Duda (left) mades things tough for South Dakota Mines' receiver Anthony Ullrich on Saturday at Swangard. (Photo by Paul Yates property of Simon Fraser Clan athletics 2019. All Rights Reserved)
Feature University Football

Football growing pains! Two pick-six majors against, two disallowed TDs are Clan’s undoing in home-opening loss to SD Hardrockers

BURNABY — The Simon Fraser Clan may be young, but they are starting to show enough signs of forward progress that head coach Thomas Ford, after the team’s 2019 home opener, refused to use their overall inexperience as a crutch.That was the story as the Clan (0-3) allowed the offence of the visiting South Dakota […]