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Shootout foils Vikes in second-straight field hockey championship

The UBC Thunderbirds defeated the UVic Vikes 2-1 on Sunday to win the McCrae Cup national field hockey championship in Toronto.
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Vikes forward Amanda Kurianowicz tangles with UBC Thunderbirds goalkeeper Gabriella Switzer during the U Sports women's field hockey championship final. Kurianowicz scored the Vikes goal as UBC won 2-1.

The UBC Thunderbirds needed a shootout win to defeat the UVic Vikes 2-1 on Sunday to win the McCrae Cup national field hockey championship in Toronto.

It's the second consecutive season that the Thunderbirds needed a shootout to defeat the Vikes for the title. The two teams have a rich history against each other. The T-Birds improve to 18-6 in 24 national final appearances, while the Vikes are 12-11-7 in national finals.

It's the VIkes 12th national silver medal.

Fifth-year Vikes forward and 2016 U Sports all-Canadian Amanda Kurianowicz scored the opening goal in the 49th minute, tallying Victoria's first goal off a penalty corner. The T-Birds then evened the score in the 61st minute as fifth-year veteran Gabby Jayme scored off a penalty corner.

In the shootout, UBC netminder Gabriella Switzer came up big, stopping all four Vikes she faced. 2016 U Sports co-player of the year Rachel Donohoe and fourth-year midfielder Sarah Keglowitsch scored for the T-Birds.

Fifth-year UBC veteran Hannah Haughn earned championship MVP honours.

"I'm really proud of the transformation that this team has made since the beginning of the season," said Vikes head coach Lynne Beecroft. "I think everyone stepped up after we lost Kathleen Leahy a couple of weeks ago. It's going to be sad for me to lose the five players that I lose this year because they are such quality hockey players but more importantly they are such quality people. The winning or losing is what it is but I'm going to really miss those young ladies."

 

Official championship website: http://english.cis-sic.ca/championships/fh/index

 

SCORING SUMMARY

UBC: 0-1: 1

VIC: 0-1: 1

 

First half

No Scoring.

 

Second half

VIC Amanda Kurianowicz (2), 49th minute

UBC Gabby Jayme (1), 61st minute

 

Goaltenders

UBC: Gabriella Switzer (W, 70:00, 1 GA, 2-0-0)

VIC: Lariss Piva (L, 70:00, 1 GA, 1-1-2)

 

SHOOTOUT SUMMARY

UBC Stephanie Norlander, no goal (0-0)

VIC Amanda Kurianowicz, no goal (0-0)

UBC Hannah Haughn, no goal (0-0)

VIC Lindsay Cole, no goal (0-0)

UBC Rachel Donohoe, goal (1-0)

VIC Cilia van Nierop, no goal (0-1)

UBC Sarah Keglowitsch, goal (2-0)

VIC: Sophia Murray no goal (0-2)

 

Players of the game

UBC: Gabriella Switzer (Vancouver, B.C.)

VIC: Annie Walters-Shumka (Victoria, B.C.)

 

CHAMPIONSHIP HONOURS

Championship MVP: Hannah Haughn (North Vancouver, B.C.), UBC

R.W. Pugh Fair Play Award: Guelph Gryphons

 

Championship All-Stars:

Lindsay Cole (Victoria, B.C.), Victoria

Ciara Condon (London, Ont.), Guelph

Rachel Donohoe (North Vancouver, B.C.), UBC

Hannah Haughn (North Vancouver, B.C.), UBC

Olivia Lane (Guelph, Ont.), Guelph

Alison Lee (Mississauga, Ont.), Toronto

Elizabeth O'Hara (Oakville, Ont.), Toronto

Rebecca Plouffe (Oakville, Ont.), Guelph

Annie Walters-Shumka (Victoria, B.C.), Victoria

Kristina Walters-Shumka (Victoria, B.C.), Victoria

Emma Wingrave (Oakville, Ont.), Toronto