VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds (5-10-1) are going to need a big second half if they wish to move up the standings and qualify for their seventh consecutive trip to the post season in men's hockey.
They begin the second half of their season this weekend as they welcome the last place Regina Cougars (4-10-0) on Friday and Saturday (7:30 p.m., Father Bauer Arena).
The task of making the post season is an even bigger challenge this year as the Canada West has changed their playoff format with just four teams (instead of six) earning a chance to play for the conference title.
UBC currently sits eight points back of Saskatchewan for the fourth and final playoff spot and is nine back of both Calgary and Manitoba.
For T-Bird head coach Milan Dragicevic, there is very little room for error during these final 12 games.
"Plain and simple we are going to have to get some weekend sweeps," noted the T-Bird bench boss. "We have a chance this weekend to take four points at home but it's not going to be an easy series. Regina has struggled a bit this year but every team in the Canada West is good and every game is going to be battle down the stretch."
The T-Birds must take advantage of the next four weeks as they play six of their next eight games at home before hitting the road for the last four games of the regular season. UBC is on the road at Manitoba following this weekend's series against the Cougars before hosting Lethbridge on January 22 and 23 and then Saskatchewan on January 29 and 30 (at Eight Rinks in Burnaby).
If UBC has failed to make up significant ground on a playoff spot by that point in the season, they will be in tough over their final four games as they make back-to-back road trips to take on perennial national powers Alberta and then an improved Calgary squad.
A look at the Thunderbirds
UBC comes into this weekend after a split in a weekend of non-conference action against no. 5 ranked McGill Redmen. The high flying Redmen, who came into Vancouver averaging more than six goals per game, used a third period surge to beat UBC 6-4 in game one before the host T-Birds came back with an even stronger performance and a 3-2 victory in game two.
The T-Birds need to find the back of the net at key times, much like they did against McGill, if they wish to make a playoff push as they have scored just 40 goals this season.
Tyler Ruel, who picked up five points in the T-Birds last regular season series, leads the team with 14 points (five goals, nine assists) and is the only UBC player in the top 20 of CW scoring.
Matthew Schneider and
Jeff Lynch, Ruel's linemates, each are sitting on 10 points apiece.
Brandon Campos and
Justin McCrae make up two thirds of the T-Birds top line and have combined for 23 points so far this year.
In net, fourth year
Francois Thuot is healthy again after missing the last four games of 2009, and he will likely carry the load down the stretch. Rookie
Jordan White, however, proved equal to the task with Thuot out and is more than just a serviceable backup.
A look at the Cougars
Not much has gone right for Regina this season as they have picked up just four wins and are losers of four straight Canada West league games. Offensively, there has been little in the way of successes for the Cougars who have scored a league low 26 goals. They have scored more than two goals just twice this season and have no individual player among the top 50 in league scoring. Tanner Schultz, Craig Cuthbert, and Mark Nelson lead the offence with six points apiece.
Defensively the Cougars have allowed 51 goals, which puts them fourth in the conference in that category. Recently the play of netminder Adam Ward (2-3-0, 2.34 GAA and .929 save pct) has been a bright spot for the Cougars despite the fact that Regina has given up 39 or more shots in each of their last three games. If they can get that number to a more manageable level, Ward has been playing well enough to counteract their struggles on offence and could get them some wins down the stretch.
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