VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds held on to defeat the Canada West-leading Alberta Golden Bears 3-2 at Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre to kick off the final regular season series of the 2010-11 season. For the T-Birds, it's the second-to-last game of their year, while the Bears are head to the Canada West playoffs. But you'd never know from watching this game that the two teams already had their fate decided.
In a game that featured tons of physical play, UBC found themselves outshot 30-15, but
Jordan White came up with big saves at crucial times to keep the Thunderbirds in the lead.
It was
Wyatt Hamilton who got the Blue and Gold out on top with a wrist shot that scored glove side on Real Cyr. UBC took that early lead in the first four minutes of the game and rode it right to the end.
The T-Birds expanded their lead when Hamilton put another puck top shelf, this time blocker side on a delayed penalty.
But the Bears weren't about to go quietly. Following some rough stuff at centre ice that put UBC down a man, Bears forward Derek Ryan banged home a puck on a power play in the second period. White made two stops, but couldn't make the third as Ryan fired an easy one into a wide open side with the UBC goalie down and out.
In the third period, it was time for the T-Birds' power play to go to work.
Craig Lineker completed a three-way passing play with a sweet wrist shot that found the back of the net, restoring his team's two-goal lead.
Alberta made it close with a short-handed goal off a two-on-one when Zack Dailey used his speed to break in on the UBC goal following a turnover at the other end of the ice. But that was as close as the #3 ranked team in the country would come.
The two squads hit the ice again on Saturday, when UBC looks to finish its season on a high-note and send graduating players Lineker,
Dalton Pajak,
Matthew Schneider, and
Max Gordichuk off on a celebratory note.
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