Box Score VICTORIA – The University of Victoria Vikes are hoping they have another chance to send their graduating players off in a bit better fashion.

Playing their final Canada West regular season home game, the Vikes were stuffed 3-0 by the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds on Thursday night in another Legends Cup battle at Centennial Stadium.

The Thunderbirds (8-1-3) didn't take long to jump ahead in the front half of the home-and-home Legends Cup series and grab command of top spot in the Pacific Division.

"UBC is a very good team and we knew that coming in. We had a hard time covering their right wing, Victory (Shumbusho), but I still like how some of our younger guys like Sergio (Duran) and Jose (Sagaste) performed in their first full 90-minute game," said Vikes Head Coach Bruce Wilson.

Nick Fussell slammed home his third of the season in front of the net. Thomas Gardner earned his fourth assist of the season in the fourth minute.

Victory Shumbusho had his way all night long and used his body to protect the ball from Jose Sagaste and Rees Goertzen in the Vikes' zone. In tight, he slipped it five-hole on Jas Lally, but the graduating keeper was bailed out by Goertzen, who booted it off the goal line.

Shumbusho wouldn't be denied for long, as two minutes later he buried an individual effort by hammering the ball through four Vikes in the 31^st minute.

Seconds before the break, the Vikes (7-4-1) best opportunity of the half came off the foot of Isaac Koch, as he tried to thread a volley past the near post, but shot from too sharp of an angle. Despite four corner attempts, fifth-year keeper Jason Roberts only needed to make one save in the opening 45. Roberts made a diving snag to haul in a strike from Matteo Ventura in the 89^th minute for his second and final save as he picked up his fifth shutout.

"UBC did a good job eliminating Isaac early. We generate so much of our offence through Isaac. We had a bunch of crossed balls and balls in the box, but couldn't get anything to go in," said Wilson. "We don't look dangerous if Isaac gets marked like that."

In the 53^rd minute, Fussell sent a through ball for Shumbusho into Vikes' territory. The reigning Canada West third star of the week hit the gas and blew past the Vikes defenders and chipped one off the post past Lally for his ninth of the season.

After the final whistle, graduating Vikes Jas Lally, Niko Cristante, Xaiver Araujo and Evan Libke gathered at midfield for a photo and a flower presentation from Clint Hamilton, Director of Vikes Athletics and Recreation, as he thanked them for their time with the program.


The two sides resume this home-and-home series Saturday afternoon at Thunderbird Stadium. Kickoff goes at 2 p.m. Catch all the action on www.canadawest.tv, presented by CO-OP.