VANCOUVER - A courageous comeback was not enough for the UBC Thunderbirds men's hockey team to move on in the Canada West men's hockey playoffs.
UBC lost 3-2 at Calgary in the third and deciding game of its quarterfinal series on Sunday at Father David Bauer Arena.
"We battled hard, we worked hard to tie it up and could have gone either way, they got a break late in the game and scored on it," said UBC head coach Milan Dragicevic after the game. "It sucks for the graduating players, they left everything on the ice and battled hard. Those guys will be missed."
The Thunderbirds' season has finished while Calgary will now move onto the Canada West semi-final where they will face the conference-best Manitoba Bisons.
Marc Desloges,
Jordan Inglis,
Ryan Kakoske,
Matt Pepe,
Adam Maglio and
Carson Loveday are the six graduating UBC players who have donned the 'Blue and Gold' for the last time.
BOXSCORE
The series went back and forth, and the third and final game was no different with the Thunderbirds coming back from a two-goal deficit, only to see the Dinos move on, off a goal in the third period.
A giveaway in their own zone wound up costing the Thunderbirds their season with fewer than ten minutes to go in the third.
A UBC defender coughed up the puck, and Brock Nixon grabbed it right at the top of the zone and let a howitzer go which eluded the outstretched netminder
Jordan White for the game-winning goal
Just minutes earlier at 7:44,
Marc Desloges tied the game at two for the visitors as he wired a shot that found its way through Calgary goaltender Dustin Butler as momentum continued to teeter totter.
The Thunderbirds had cut the lead in half at 17:17 of the middle frame. Playing for the first time in the series,
Ilan Cumberbirch let a shot go from the top of the Dinos' zone and beat Dustin Butler through the five-hole. UBC trailed Calgary 2-1 going into the final period.
After a goalless first period, the Dinos opened the scoring for the third time this series with a tally at the 9:18 mark of the second period.
Nixon's attempt from in front of the net went wide, but from the left side defenceman Luke Egener notched his second goal in as many games.
Just under five minutes later, Calgary struck again. A bullet from the point by Brett Bartman handcuffed White as it found the back of the net giving the blue liner his first goal of the year. Dylan Hood picked up an assist on the play which gave the Dinos a 2-0 advantage.
The Dinos outshot the Thunderbirds 34-24. Calgary was 0-for-3 on the power play, while UBC was 0-for-4.
- with files from Lance Doucet (Calgary Sports Information)
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