UBC head coach Blake Nill takes his team into a pivotal week of practice as the 'Birds attempt to rebound from an 0-2 start to the Canada West season. (File photo by Bob Frid property of UBC athletics)
Feature University Football

Saskatchewan 40 UBC 7: Thunderbirds’ first 0-2 start in the Blake Nill-era leaves plenty of questions with Dinos up next

Sometimes clichés are unavoidable, and in the case of the UBC Thunderbirds football team, there is no better way to paint their predicament than to say they are caught between a rock and a hard place.Friday’s 40-7 drubbing in Saskatoon at the hands of the defending Hardy Cup champion Saskatchewan Huskies not only leaves the […]

UBC's All-Canadian safety Stavros Katsantonis played his usual hard-hitting game, here tackling Saskatchewan's Tyler Chow. (Photo by Howard Tsumura property of VarsityLetters.ca)
Feature University Football

Football ‘Birds unravel late in Hardy Cup semi final loss, coach Nill knows UBC “…is going to be a totally different team next year”

VANCOUVER — When it comes to advancing to the Canada West’s Hardy Cup conference championship, it’s almost felt like the UBC Thunderbirds have been protected by some sort of invisible force field since head coach Blake Nill rolled into town back in 2015.And with just over a minute left in the conference semifinal Saturday, with […]

UBC's second-year forward Madison Legault and the rest of the improving Thunderbirds open the 2018-19 Canada West regular season Friday at home to the Saskatchewan Huskies. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics)
Feature University Women's Basketball

UBC women’s basketball: On eve of 2018-19 season-opener, ‘Birds head coach Huband see a talented core set for “a coming of age”

VANCOUVER — The best way to describe just how close last season’s youthful UBC Thunderbirds’ women’s basketball team came to achieving a breakthrough campaign would be to imagine longtime head coach Deb Huband holding up a hand with her thumb and index finger about an inch apart.

As part of a night in which he pieced together 267 all-purpose yards, UBC's Trivel Pinto vaults over Saskatchewan kicker Sean Stenger. (Photo by Richard Lam property of UBC athletics)
Feature University Football

UBC football’s amazing rise: Win over Huskies sees ‘Birds vault from last place to second place in just one game

VANCOUVER — Excuse the UBC Thunderbirds for feeling a little on the light-headed side as they get out of bed Saturday morning and ponder their place in the Canada West football world.

UFV Cascades' Gurmaan Jhaj attempts to split through the UBC defence during Canada West action earlier this season. With Jhaj igniting the offence, UFV is the only team in Canada West to take point from the Thunderbirds this season. (Photo by Dan Kinvig property of UFV Cascades' athletics)
Feature University Men's Soccer

UFV’s Gurmaan Jhaj: Whether in sport, the classroom or in business, Cascades’ striker is all about his goals

ABBOTSFORD — Gurmaan Jhaj may have just turned 22, but he’s already an expert in sharpening the saw and building success brick by brick.

Now in their third season together, UBC head coach Blake Nill swears by his quarterback Michael O'Connor. (Bob Frid/UBC athletics)
Feature University Football

TSUMURA: On the bond between a coach and his QB, UBC’s Nill & O’Connor survive a Saturday in Saskatoon

As a performance, it was hardly an oil painting. Yet you would be mistaken to think that UBC quarterback Michael O’Connor’s three interceptions on Saturday night in any way sullied the final result of the ‘Birds near-total collapse in the heart of the Canada West playoff chase.

Thunderbird Stadium was packed to the rafters Saturday as UBC beat Saskatchewan on homecoming weekend. (Richard Lam/UBC athletics)
Feature University Football

My Top 6 UBC football takeaways, highlighted by huge crowd numbers and Prez Santa’s presence

My biggest takeaways from Saturday evening’s UBC football game which featured the biggest crowd I have seen for a university sports event in the 16 seasons since I got off the NBA beat:

UBC's Trivel Pinto (1) was unstoppable Saturday in the 'Birds win over Saskatchewan. (Richard Lam, UBC athletics)
Feature University Football

Pinto-powered ‘Birds roll Huskies, UBC coach Nill: “I think he could be the No. 1 pick of the CFL draft”

VANCOUVER — Trivel Pinto is playing football like he is the best university player in country and on Saturday, one of the largest and most appreciative crowds in the history of Thunderbird Stadium headed to the exits convinced of the fact.For over three hours, in front of a UBC Homecoming crowd announced at 9,542, the […]