The University of British Columbia (UBC) Men’s Team defeated the Vancouver Hawks in an OT golden goal to win the 2012 India Challenge Cup.
In this competitive match, the Hawks scored early in the game from a penalty corner by Richard Hildreth. The Hawks had strong ball possession and attack in the first half, led by Richard Hildreth, David Jameson and Iain Smythe. However, they were unable to penetrate the solid UBC defence, anchored by Hudson Stewart, Arne Oswald and Cam Munsie. The score remained 0 – 1 at half time.
The second half was a different story. UBC’s Keegan Pereira, Connor Meakin, Elliott Marsh and Hudson Stewart led a strong offence, generating scoring opportunities only to be stopped by Hawks goalkeeper Patrick Mackey.
In the final minutes of the game, UBC earned a critical penalty corner. Lachlan Glen scored the goal from an option play set up by Keegan Pereira to tie the game at 1 – 1 with only two minutes to go. The teams moved into overtime.
UBC came out strong in the sudden-death overtime with John Smythe, Hamish Love and Harshan Grewal leading the charge. UBC defence also held tight, preventing the Hawks from creating any sustained attack.
With the Hawks were under constant pressure, UBC was able to generate a penalty corner late in overtime. Keegan Pereira and Connor Meakin ensured the option was executed effectively, leading to a golden goal by Lachlan Glen to win the title for UBC.
This is the sixth win for UBC Head Coach Shiaz Virjee, who has been with the team for 10 years.
