U Sports MVP Tolnai's late goal lifts UBC women's soccer team over Trinity Western for gold

The University of British Columbia (UBC) defeated its Canada West (CW) rival Trinity Western 1-0 in extra time to claim gold at the 2023 U Sports Women's Soccer Championship on Saturday in Kingston, Ont.

In a matchup between the two winningest teams in the history of U Sports women's soccer, with UBC now holding an 8-5 edge in national titles, the championship game didn't disappoint, as U Sports MVP Katalin Tolnai's 120th-minute goal delivered UBC its first gold medal since 2019.

Toronto's Tolnai recorded 22 points in 14 regular season contests - seven more points than any other player in the CW - and also scored the game-winning goal in the Thunderbirds' quarterfinal win over Ottawa on Thursday, earning Championship MVP for her contributions.

"[Winning a second national title] feels so good just for... the whole team," said Tolnai, who was part of the Thunderbirds squad that topped the Calgary Dinos in the 2019 gold-medal game, to 49 Sports. "We all just really wanted this, and are so happy."

WATCH | Tolnai leads Thunderbirds to gold:

Tolnai's late goal in extra time gives UBC it's 8th women's national soccer title

1 year ago

Duration 0:30

Katalin Tolnai scored the winner late in extra time to give the UBC Thunderbirds a 1-0 victory over the Trinity Western Spartans Sunday at the U Sports women's national soccer championship final.

Only nine days removed from the Spartans defeating the Thunderbirds 6-5 on penalty kicks after playing to a scoreless draw in the CW final, the national championship game shaped up to be much of the same, with no goals scored through the first 119 minutes of play.

The low-scoring result came as no surprise with UBC allowing just 0.36 goals per game in the regular season to Trinity Western's 0.57 — the two lowest marks in the CW.

The best chances in regulation both came off the foot of UBC players, with Nisa Reehal and Sophie Damian sneaking shots past Spartans goalkeeper Hannah Miller in the second half, only to be stymied by the post each time.

WATCH | Full replay of women's gold-medal match:

U Sports women's soccer national championship gold medal game: UBC vs Trinity Western University

1 year ago

Duration 3:02:34

Watch the Thunderbirds take on the Spartans in the women's national championship gold medal soccer game from Kingston, Ontario.

The Spartans mainly controlled possession throughout extra time, but were held at bay by the Thunderbirds' defence as well as strong positional play from goalkeeper Dakota Beckett until Jayda Thompson's brilliant cross found Tolnai to help deliver UBC the Gladys Bean Memorial Trophy.

"That extra time we were holding on, I thought Trinity [Western] was pushing a bit," said UBC Head Coach Jesse Symons to 49 Sports. "The game opened up and we have some amazing athletes, so once it opened up I thought we could get some service in those wide channels with our pace.

"[Great job by Thompson] to get to that ball and serve it in, and [Tolnai] is exactly where we want her to be in those big moments. Thank goodness she was; seeing that ball cross the line was pretty special."

The Langley, B.C., native stopped 25 shots across her three victories, including 12 in the final.

"Honestly, at a certain point, I don't care what happens," said Beckett to 49 Sports on her increased workload in extra time, stopping four shots in the final six minutes of play. "I'm just getting to that ball."

No. 1 seed Laval — which was defeated by the Spartans 3-0 in the other semifinal on Friday — earned the bronze medal earlier in the day with a 1-0 win over Montreal.

Cape Breton wins men's soccer gold

The Cape Breton men's soccer team secured its second-ever national title on Sunday, dispatching the Montreal Carabins 1-0 in the championship game on home field in Sydney, N.S.

Fans immediately rushed onto the pitch as soon as the final whistle blew at Ness Timmons Field to celebrate the Capers' first Sam Davidson Memorial Trophy since 2017.

A pair of first-year players proved to be the difference for Cape Breton as Jacob Spizzirri scored the game's lone goal just before half and goalkeeper Daniel Clarke clinched the win with a six-save shutout, his second of the eight-team tournament.

WATCH | Spizzirri delivers for Capers:

Spizzirri's loan goal enough for Capers to claim national title

1 year ago

Duration 0:57

Jacob Spizzirri scored in added time of the first half for the Capers at U Sports men's soccer championship Sunday giving Cape Breton a 1-0 win over Montreal.

The Capers entered the 2023 U Sports Men's Soccer Championship with some added motivation this year, having its streak of six straight Atlantic University Sport (AUS) titles snapped by St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) in the AUS final in October, as well as being upset by 2022 U Sports champion Thompson Rivers in the national semifinals last year, spoiling an undefeated season.

The Carabins — which had won two of the past four national titles entering Sunday — sported an identical 12-1-3 record to the Capers going into the final, with its lone loss coming in the RSEQ final to UQTR.

UBC exacted its revenge for a 1-0 loss to Mount Royal in the CW championship last Saturday by returning the favour with a 1-0 result in the bronze-medal game earlier on Sunday.

WATCH l Full replay of men's gold-medal match:

U Sports men's soccer national championship gold medal game: Cape Breton vs Montreal

1 year ago

Duration 2:28:26

Watch the Capers take on the Carabins in the men's national championship gold medal soccer game from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

UBC men's, women's cross country teams win nationals

UBC continued its winning ways at the U Sports Cross Country Championships in London, Ont., on Sunday, taking home titles in both the women's and men's events.

Third-year Katie Newlove was the star of the women's team, finishing first in the women's eight-kilometre race with a time of 29 minutes 6.8 seconds.

Her teammates Jennifer Erickson (fourth) and Holly MacGillivray (eighth) also earned top-10 finishes, as the Thunderbirds accumulated 38 points to take gold.

WATCH | Full replay of women's, men's cross country championships:

U Sports women's and men's National Cross Country Championships

1 year ago

Duration 2:01:33

Watch some of Canada's best runners compete at the women's and men's U Sports national cross country championships from London, Ontario.

The host Western Mustangs — buoyed by Erika Jordan's bronze medal with a time of 29:24.7 — finished second with 71 points, while the St FX X-Women claimed bronze with 95 points.

2022 champion Laval finished in seventh, although Catherine Beauchemin secured an individual silver medal with a time of 29:18.2.

Laval's men's team won silver for the second straight year despite Philippe Morneau-Cartier (24:17.6) and Jean-Simon Desgagnes (24:20.9) securing individual gold and silver, respectively, in the men's 8km race.

UBC's Andrew Davies reached the podium with a time of 24:24.7, and the Thunderbirds' depth — which featured John Perrier (fifth) and Jaiveer Tiwana (10th) — won out over Laval, securing 52 points to edge the Rouge et Or by eight.

Queen's took the bronze medal with 90 points.

2022 men's champion McMaster was ninth, failing to place a top-30 finisher after dominating last year's nationals in Halifax with five top-15 runners.