The UVic Vikes women's field hockey team spent its Saturday match sizing up the defending champion UBC Thunderbirds in 4-2 loss at UVic.
The third and final match of the CIS National championship meant nothing in the standings for the Vikes (2-1), however, as the team had already defeated Guelph Gryphons and Waterloo Warriors to advance to today's (Nov. 3) gold medal final.
The Vikes and Thunderbirds start at 3 p.m. for the McCrae Cup national field hockey championship.
Vikes sniper Amanda Kurianowicz opened the scoring in the 22nd minute of play on Saturday and Emily Fisher tallied in the final minute for the Vikes to make it 4-2. Between those two goals it was all T-Birds as the visitors went up on a hat trick by rookie Sophie Huijskens of the
Netherlands with one more from national team player Kate Gillis.
Guelph and Waterloo face each other at 1 p.m. in the bronze medal game at UVic.
Vikes women host Canada West soccer playoffs, win bronze
Graduating senior goalkeeper Tanya Jones played with a dislocated finger to guide the UVic Vikes to a 1-0 victory and bronze medal, beating the UBC Thunderbirds in penalty kicks at the Canada West women's soccer championships at UVic on Saturday.
After scoreless regulation and extra time play the Vikes went three for five in the penalty kick shootout with goals from Jackie Harrison, Lindsay Hoetzel and Shannon Elder, while Jones held the T-Birds to just one goal.
It was a massive way to go out for Jones, a product of Sidney's Parkland secondary school, after the Vikes heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss to the Trinity Western Spartans on Friday night. The Friday loss cost UVic a seat at the CIS nationals beginning in Toronto later this week.
"Tanya dislocated her finger three days ago in training," Vikes coach Tracy David said. "She played yesterday with a dislocated finger and today; what about the saves she made? ... I thought she was very brave. And I thought yesterday, too... I think the girl was on a mission, finger or no finger. It took a lot of character.”
“It’s my last game ever. I have nothing left, I was just gonna give it my all, try to win for the team, win it for myself," Jones said.
Vikes men score bronze in Canada West soccer Final Six
The UVic Vikes men fell 2-1 to the Fraser Valley Cascades in the bronze medal game of the Canada West Final Six on Sunday afternoon at UBC.
The Vikes had come close to advancing to the Canada West final on Friday when they were up 1-0 late in the semifinal, before surrendering two straight goals to the Saskatchewan Huskies and losing 2-1. The Vikes had defeated the Calgary Dinos 2-1 in extra time of Thursday's quarter-final. Gavin Barrett scored both Vikes goals on Thursday.