The Thunderbirds won their second title in a universe point thriller
May 27, 2025 by Theresa Diffendal in News
UBC Thunderbirds won the 2025 D-I Women’s Championship with a 14-13 win over Carleton Syzygy. After Carleton broke to take a 3-2 lead, UBC did not retake the advantage until the game’s last point.
Long heralded as one of the deepest rosters in the division, Mika Kurahashi, Amelie Marshall, Ella Bolan, and Claire Weng all recorded a goal, assist and a block, with Kurahashi and Marshall leading the team in plus/minus at +4. Despite recording four times as many turnovers in the final as their dominant semifinal performance, UBC’s dogged defense — the Thunderbirds notched 13 blocks to Carleton’s eight — prevented Syzygy from ever building more than a two point lead.
The 2025 title is the program’s second, and first in the USAU era. The Thunderbirds have won two of the three championship games they’ve competed in dating back to 1997.
