VANCOUVER - After watching a 4-0 lead evaporate throughout the second and third periods, the UBC Thunderbirds managed to salvage a weekend split with a 5-4 win over the Regina Cougars on Saturday night, thanks to
Brandon Campos' overtime tally.
Campos got UBC's third power play goal of the game in the extra frame, beating Brant Hilton with a point shot that deflected in off the post.
"Our power play really came through for us and we just found a way to win," said UBC head coach Milan Dragicevic. "I've told the guys that at this point it's just about finding ways to win and getting two points towards a playoff spot."
The T-Birds generated lots of traffic in front of the net in the first period which allowed them to jump out to a 3-0 lead in the opening frame. Campos opened the scoring with a top-shelf wrist shot through a screen at 7:25 of the first. Then on a UBC powerplay the 'Birds took advantage of a Regina defender losing his stick, as
Tyler Ruel was able to walk in and beat Cougars starting goalie Adam Ward short-side. Finally,
Justin McCrae picked a rebound out of a crowd of players in the crease and banged the puck home to further pad the T-Bird lead.
Ward was replaced by Hilton to begin the second, and he got off to a rough start as well. Just 14 seconds into the frame, McCrae wound up as he crossed the blueline and blasted a powerful slapshot just inside the far post to make it a 4-0 lead for the home side. But that was when the wheels started to come off for UBC, as Regina would go on to score four unanswered goals to tie the game up in the third.
"When they made the goaltending change they really came on," said Dragicevic."Early on we had lots of traffic and we were driving the net but we got away from that a bit in the second period. There is a tendency for that to happen with a big lead and we were guilty of that."
Jared Jagow got Regina on the board at 4:05 of the second on the power play, and Russ Nielsen cut the UBC lead to 4-2 just after the halfway point of the period. Caine Pearpoint then added another power play marker to make it a 4-3 game heading into the third, as he tipped Mark Nelson's shot past UBC goalie
Jordan White. Finally, Dillon Johnstone tied the game late in the third during a delayed penalty to UBC.
White made some key saves throughout the game to slow Regina's momentum as the comeback began. White, a first-year T-Bird, got the start in place of UBC's usual number-one goalie
Francois Thuot. He finished with 33 saves on 37 shots.
"Jordan got us the win and he made some big saves tonight," said Dragicevic. "We are going to need both goalies to be playing well the rest of the season for us to be successful."
Hilton saved 19 of the 20 shots he faced in a losing effort.
The T-Birds are now 6-11-1 and have pulled into a tie for fifth with Lethbridge. The Cougars fell to 5-10-1 with the loss.
UBC is on the road in Manitoba for a two game set against the Bisons next weekend where they will continue to chase a playoff spot, while Regina will look to keep their slim playoff hopes alive at home against Saskatchewan.
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