By Meaghan Wilson (Sports Information Assistant)

VANCOUVER – The No. 1 UBC Thunderbirds men's soccer team finished off a perfect weekend at home by defeating the UNBC Timberwolves by a score of 3-0 on Sunday afternoon on David Sidoo Field at Thunderbird Stadium. The two-time defending CIS champion T-Birds have begun the regular season with four consecutive victories.

Navid Mashinchi scored twice, with his goals serving as bookends to a Paul Clerc marker for the T-Birds. Mashinchi, a fifth-year Sauder School of Business student, now has four goals on the year.

Head coach Mike Mosher comments on today's performance: "There wasn't a lot of prettiness out there today, but we'll take the six points from this weekend and move forward from there."
 
Although the T-Birds controlled ball possession during the first seven minutes of play, the Timberwolves were first to threaten with a Conrad Rowlands shot that just went wide to the right of UBC goalkeeper Richard Meister. 

Mashinchi's first goal came in the 35th minute on a free kick. He then took another free kick that turned into a goal when Clerc got his head on the ball and directed it into the net in the 41st minute.

Mashinchi capped off the scoring with a penalty kick goal nine minutes after halftime.
 
The T-Birds out-shot the Timberwolves 9-3 in the first the half and 17-6 overall.
 
UNBC goalkeeper Ty Venhola made seven saves while Meister turned aside one shot in his first start of the season for the clean sheet.

The No. 1-ranked Thunderbirds are now (4-0-0) on the year and will take on the Thompson Rivers WolfPack in Kamloops, B.C. on September 19 at 7 p.m. UBC will play at UBC Okanagan the next night, also at 7 p.m.
 
"Anytime you go on the road there are different challenges that come with it, but we look forward to that," said Mosher.

UNBC, now with a win and three losses to start the year, will travel to Abbotsford, B.C., for a two-game set next weekend against the Fraser Valley Cascades.

IMAGE CREDIT: Rich Lam/UBC Thunderbirds