REGINA, SK - Paige Wheeler scored twice and added an assist as the University of Regina's women's hockey team completed a Canada West weekend sweep over the UBC Thunderbirds with a convincing 5-1 win on Saturday night at The Co-operators Centre.
After Gina Campbell opened the scoring with a goal less than four minutes into the game, Wheeler gave the Cougars a two-goal cushion with a power-play marker exactly five minutes later.
Wheeler scored again for the Cougars six minutes into the second, giving the fourth-year forward her first multiple-goal game of the season.
Nadine Burgess (2nd, St. Catherines, ON) scored her first CIS goal later on in the second period for UBC, but that would prove to be the only goal surrendered by Regina first-year goaltender Jennifer Schmidt.
Rianne Wight restored the three-goal cushion for the Cougars with a goal just 72 seconds after Burgess scored, and the U of R put the game away with a Hillary Lerat power play goal in the late stages of the third period.
Schmidt ended up stopping 23 of 24 shots to secure the win for the Cougars, who improve their Canada West record to 6-11-1 with the victory. Campbell and Rianne Wight also notched a pair of assists each as both players joined Wheeler with three-point nights.
UBC falls to 1-13-2 with the loss, as the Thunderbirds have now lost 14 consecutive conference games.
The Cougars were 2-for-8 on the power play and peppered UBC goalie
Samantha Langford (1st, Pense, SK) with 48 shots during the victory.
The Thunderbirds were held scoreless in their five opportunities with the man advantage.
Regina will have a weekend off before returning to the Canada West schedule at home against Calgary on Jan. 27 and Jan. 28, while UBC is back in action next weekend at home against the Calgary Dinos.
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