VICTORIA – The UBC Thunderbirds captured their seventh Canada West Crown on Saturday with their 4-2 win over the UVic Vikes women's field hockey team.

The T-Birds locked up first place in the regular season, thus insuring the Canada West championship. With one game remaining UBC has a record of 9-2-0 and the Vikes sit 5-3-3. Both teams have already qualified for the CIS championship.

The Vikes struck first as Natalie Wise dove to hammer a backhander past T-Birds keeper Dina Bulfone for her first of the game.

UBC stepped up the offensive pressure and converted on a penalty corner with 'Birds defender Kristyn Harrington putting it past Vikes goaltender Kaitlyn Williams.

T-Birds forward Elise Milosevich, came close to scoring the go ahead goal on a rush in the 22nd minute but lost possession to the Vikes defence and ended up bowling over Williams.

The T-Birds added two more goals before the end of the first half off the sticks of Robyn Pendleton and Whitney Kroll, both coming in the 26 and 29 minute respectively.

Vikes head coach Lynne Beecroft commented on the T-Birds offence pressure. “They're very quick on reading and responding to our play.”

“We tried a few new things today and I think the girls were a little bit tentative executing,” said Beecroft on her Vikes play this morning.

Wise, midway through the second half, potted her second goal of the game off a penalty corner where she received a return pass on the goal line and managed to pass it by Bulfone.

The Vikes will look to rebound tomorrow morning as they finish up the season against the T-Birds in the second match of the weekend series. The game starts at 11am on the UVic turf.