VANCOUVER – In a battle for top spot in Canada West, the Lethbridge Pronghorns fell behind early and were never able to gain their footing on a rainy afternoon in Vancouver, falling 67-5 to the U SPORTS fifth ranked UBC Thunderbirds at the Gerald McGavin UBC Rugby Centre.
 
With the win, the T-Birds take sole possession of first place in the Canada West and remain undefeated at 4-0 with one game remaining in the regular season. The loss drops the Pronghorns to 3-2 on the season and five points back of the Thunderbirds.
 
The Pronghorns will look to rebound Sunday and attempt to solidify their hold on second place in Victoria versus the Victoria Vikes in their final regular season game of the year.
 
Savannah Bauder continued to dominate offensively for the T-Birds with three tries and six conversions – raising her total to nine tries and 15 converts so far this season – making it three straight games with three tries for the second-year fly-half from North Vancouver. Fourth-year centre Shoshanah Seumanutafa recorded two tries, while first-year 'Birds Mikiela Nelson and Florence Symonds also scored a pair of tries each for the 'Birds en route to a decisive win on home field.
 
Pronghorn Gwen Fillinger continued her scoring ways, recording the Pronghorns lone try and her team leading fourth of the season.    
 
The Pronghorns won the battle for field position early but couldn't capitalize, and UBC's Kally King broke through up the left sideline for a quick counter. Soon after, in the seventh minute, Symonds scored on the grubber from Seumanutafa and Bauder made the convert for a 7-0 lead. Seumanutafa scored a try of her own in the 18^th minute after a strong run from Piper Logan to make it 12-0 before Logan intercepted a Pronghorn pass and ran it in from midfield for the converted try at 19-0.
 
Seumanutafa tallied her second try of the evening to build the lead to 24-0 before Lethbridge responded with a Gwen Fillinger try in the 29^th minute, but the Pronghorns momentum was short lived. First-year T-Birds prop Mikiela Nelson scored her first try of the season before breaking through the line for a big run and second try to make it 36-5 for the 'Birds heading into halftime.
 
UBC maintained control in the second half as Bauder got on the board with her first try of the game off the scrum early, Emma Feldinger added a converted try in the 45^th minute, and Symonds scored her second try of the game as the 'Birds led 55-5 in the 54^th minute. Bauder extended her scoring streak with back-to-back tries in the 66^th and 77^th minute, respectively, as the T-Birds cruised to a 67-5 victory.
 
 
 
Scoring Summary
 
                        1          2          F
LET                 5          0          5
UBC                36        31        67
 
First Half
7' UBC – Florence Symonds Try (conversion – Savannah Bauder) 7-0
18' UBC – Shoshanah Seumanutafa Try 12-0
21' UBC – Piper Logan Try (conversion Savannah Bauder) 19-0
26' UBC – Shoshanah Seumanutafa Try 24-0
29' LET – Gwen Fillinger Try 24-5
32' UBC – Mikiela Nelson Try (conversion – Savannah Bauder) 31-5
35' UBC – Mikiela Nelson Try 36-5
 
Second Half
42' UBC – Savannah Bauder Try 41-5
45' UBC – Emma Feldinger Try (conversion – Savannah Bauder) 48-5
54' UBC – Florence Symonds Try (conversion – Savannah Bauder) 55-5
66' UBC – Savannah Bauder Try (conversion – Savannah Bauder) 62-5
77' UBC – Savannah Bauder Try 67-5