VANCOUVER - In a game that saw momentum shift back and forth, it was veteran defender
Kirsten Mihalcheon who would tip the scales definitively with back-to-back shootout goals to give the UBC Thunderbirds a 4-3 win over the Regina Cougars at Doug Mitchell Arena.
Goals were hard to come by in the shootout, with the first twenty shooters coming up dry. Then in the 11th round, Regina's Katelyn Kennedy broke the stalemate with a goal that trickled through
Melinda Choy's equipment.
UBC head coach Nancy Wilson sent out Mihalcheon for her first attempt and Mihalcheon answered the call with a wrist shot that beat Lisa Urban on her blocker side.
After Regina sniper Rianne Wight missed on her shot, Mihalcheon fired a shot low glove-side for consecutive goals, giving UBC the victory.
Wilson explained the decision to go with her winning shooter so late in the contest.
“Mihalcheon was very good for us last year, but she had lost a bit of her confidence this year,” said Wilson. “So I went through a number of our other shooters, but then I realized we weren't going to be able to deke on Urban, we had to shoot. Mihalcheon loves to shoot, so we put her in there and she did great. And we put her in there for the second one, too.”
Leading up to the shootout, UBC found themselves trailing 3-2 in the third period.
Chelsea Laing scored the tying goal by roofing a shot blocker side on a feed from
Kaitlin Imai.
UBC had staked themselves to a 2-1 second period lead, which they surrendered prior to instigating their third period comeback.
“I thought the second period got away from us,” said Wilson. “We went out and we were a little soft but by the end of the second period we got our energy back.”
Special teams were a big factor for the 'Birds. UBC killed all five Regina powerplays, including a 4-on-3 in overtime. And when it was their turn with the man advantage, the Blue and Gold notched two power play goals. The first came from
Kelsey Kirkham who knocked in a rebound on the doorstep. The other was a neat redirection by
Kaylee Chanakos on a shot by
Ashley Henry.
“Our PK has done well all year for us and we did have some big kills,” said Wilson. “But I was especially impressed that we got two power play goals.”
Regina standout Paige Wheeler had a pair of goals on the night, including one on a partial breakaway. Wheeler used her speed to get past the UBC defence and score on a wrist shot high glove side. Gina Campbell had the other Cougar goal.
The Thunderbirds and Cougars are back at it Saturday night from Doug Mitchell Arena. Puck drop is 7:00 pm.
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