VANCOUVER - It wasn't the start head coach Matt Parrish and the Pandas rugby team envisioned to start their 2021 season. Far from it, really. 

The Pandas dropped their second-straight game to open the new campaign, falling 60-5 to the host UBC Thunderbirds on a sunny evening at the Gerald McGavin UBC Rugby Centre. In their first conference match on home field in nearly two years, the Canada West preseason favourites improved to 2-0 on the season while the Pandas fell to 0-2.
 
Second-year UBC fly-half Savannah Bauder had an impressive three-try performance and added four conversions for the T-Birds, Emma Feldinger and Piper Logan each scored two tries for UBC, while Madison Gold, Shoshana Seumanutafa, and Olivia Sarabura contributed one try each in the convincing victory. 
 
Alberta made a push midway through the first half and gained field position on a number of runs but were unable to get on the scoresheet until Maria Sawiak fought across the goal line for an unconverted try in the 52nd minute.
 
The Pandas will look to get in the win column on Sunday, when they visit the Victoria Vikes at Wallace Field. 
 
Scoring summary
 
First half
 
2' UBC – Piper Logan try 5-0
7' UBC – Madison Gold try 10-0 
11' UBC – Savannah Bauder try (conversion – Bauder) 17-0
20' UBC – Logan try (conversion – Bauder) 24-0
31' UBC – Bauder try (conversion – Bauder) 31-0
40'+ UBC – Emma Feldinger try (conversion – Bauder) 38-0
 
Second half
 
42' UBC – Bauder try 43-0
46' UBC – Shoshana Seumanutafa try 48-0
52' ALB – Maria Sawiak try 48-5
66' UBC – Olivia Sarabura try (conversion – Sarabura) 55-5
77' UBC – Feldinger try 60-5

Photos: Rich Lam