VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds women's hockey team returns to action after a bye week, as it hosts the University of Regina Cougars for two games at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
GAME TIMES
Fri., Oct. 28 – Regina at UBC (7:00 p.m.)
Sat., Oct. 29 – Regina at UBC (7:00 p.m.)
UBC Thunderbirds
2011 conference record: 1-1 (6th)
2011 CIS ranking: -
Last week: bye
Streak: 1 win
The Thunderbirds are tied for last place in the Canada West standings but have played just two games, where nearly every other team has completed four.
UBC opened the season on the weekend of Oct. 14 and 15, splitting with the Lethbridge Pronghorns, the current league leaders. UBC dropped the Friday game 2-0 in head coach Jen Rawson's debut. But her crew bounced back with a 4-2 win the next night giving Rawson her first CIS regular season victory.
Laura Jordan,
Kaitlin Imai and
Tatiana Rafter all recorded three points in the Saturday win. That's good enough for the trio to be in the top ten in Canada West scoring, despite playing just two games.
Rawson was also happy with her goaltenders. All three on her roster are in their first year.
Samantha Langford and
Carly Butcher split the games two weeks ago and both played well against Lethbridge, with Butcher getting a win. Rawson was complimentary of how well Butcher dealt with the constant Pronghorn traffic in front of her net.
Regina Cougars
2011 conference record: 1-3 (7th)
2011 CIS ranking: -
Last week: beat Manitoba 2-1 (SO), lost to Manitoba 4-2
Streak: 1 loss
The Regina Cougars are coming off a home split with the No. 7 Manitoba Bisons. Regina won Friday's game 2-1 in a shootout and then dropped a 4-2 decision on Saturday.
The Cougars average just over a goal a game, the lowest number in the entire league.
Four different players lead the team with a goal each, while
Rianne Wight is Regina's top scorer with three assists.
Defensively, the Cougars have given up the most goals (14) in the Canada West so far this season, but half of those came in a 7-1 to Saskatchewan in the opening week of the campaign.
