UBC Faces Montreal in U SPORTS Quarter-Final with National Title on the Line
TORONTO – The University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds will clash with the Université de Montréal Carabins in a highly anticipated U SPORTS quarter-final showdown this Thursday, seeking redemption and a path to a national championship repeat. The game,set to take place in Toronto,pits the defending champions against the team that previously ended their run,setting the stage for a compelling battle between two perennial powerhouses.
Despite a disappointing loss in the Canada West Final, the veteran UBC squad has quickly refocused on the larger goal: a national championship. “Quite simply,you just get on with it,” said a UBC representative to the team following their conference final defeat. “yeah, it was disappointing but that was Saturday and now we got to look ahead to Thursday. It’s not often in life you get a chance for a do-over and five days later we get a do-over for another title. And on day one of pre-season if you were to pick a conference championship vs a national championship, you’d probably take a national championship.”
This matchup carries significant weight, continuing a recent history of dramatic encounters between the two programs. Last year’s championship final saw UBC triumph over Montreal, avenging a 2-0 semifinal loss to the Carabins in 2023. Prior to that, UBC defeated Montreal in the 2022 semifinal. The two teams have alternated wins in their last five national championship meetings, a pattern UBC aims to break this week.
UBC is striving to become the first team to win back-to-back U SPORTS titles sence York University in 2014 and 2015 – a feat the Thunderbirds themselves last accomplished in 2012 and 2013. The winner of Thursday’s quarter-final will advance to face either York or Dalhousie in a semifinal game on Friday.
The UBC vs. Montreal quarter-final is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET/10:30 a.m. PT and will be live-streamed on CBC Gem,cbcsports.ca, and CBC Sports’ YouTube channel.
