VANCOUVER – For the second straight night, the UBC Thunderbirds were shutout 3-0 by the Saskatchewan Huskies in Canada West regular season women's hockey action at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
“I think we played a lot better than last night,” said UBC head coach Jen Rawson. “We had a lot more urgency. I think we just seemed to be a lot faster and we just generally all-around played better. I don't think the score was really indicative of the play, but that's the way it goes sometimes. I am happy that we played better as a team.”
Breanne George, Cara Wooster and Julie Paetsch (empty net) all scored for Saskatchewan.
Mackenzie Rizos stopped 23 UBC shots for her second shutout in a row.
George's game-winning goal came at 17:10 of the second period.
She skated down the right wing and fired a shot past UBC goaltender Samantha Langord (1st, Pense, SK) on the blocker side.
Right after the goal, UBC had a good chance to tie the game but Rizos stopped
Nikola Brown-John's shot from the slot.
Cara Wooster added the insurance goal at 4:28 of the third period on a goalmouth scramble, when she was somehow able to keep the puck alive despite several players on all fours in front of a fallen Langford in the UBC net.
Langford made 14 saves in the loss, including one in the second period on Paetsch, who split the UBC defence to go in on a breakaway.
The Thunderbirds controlled the flow of play before the first two Saskatchewan goals and outshot the Huskies 23-17 in the game.
But UBC was unable to take advantage of its opportunities, going scoreless on eight power plays.
“I thought our power play was better than last night in terms of movement, shots and chances but we didn't capitalize,” said Rawson. “It's unfortunate that way but I guess it's small steps and hopefully, we can build from there.”
UBC has lost ten games in a row, two in a shootout. The offence continues to struggle, having produced five goals in the Thunderbirds' last nine games.
UBC (1-9-2) will finish off the first part of the 2011-12 regular season next weekend in Lethbridge.
Saskatchewan will play a home and away series against provincial rivals Regina next weekend.
GAME NOTE: UBC honoured
Tamara Pickford on Saturday for having played 100 regular season games as a UBC Thunderbird. Her parents and brother were on hand to see Tamara honoured with a golden helmet with her number 72 on the back, for the achievement.
"She's been a great leader," said Rawson of Pickford. "She's been an excellent role model for the first years, all the way to the fourth and fifth years. I'm sad to lose that leadership role and she's been really instrumental in developing that in the rest of the players so we'll definitely miss that when she finishes with us, especially her intensity."
