VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds women's hockey team plays its final two home games of the 2011-12 season. The team's two graduating seniors,
Amanda Asay (5th, Prince George, BC) and
Tamara Pickford (5th, Chilliwack, BC) will be honoured this weekend as they don the Blue and Gold for the final time at home.
Both games will have
live online statistics.
GAME TIMES
Fri., Feb. 3 - Manitoba at UBC (7 p.m. at Father Bauer Arena, Vancouver)
Sat., Feb. 4 - Manitoba at UBC (7 p.m. at Father Bauer Arena, Vancouver)
UBC Thunderbirds
2011-12 conference record: 1-17-2 (7th)
Last week: L 0-4, L 0-4 at Alberta
Streak: 12 losses
UBC is looking to record its first victory of 2012, having gone winless since the first weekend of the season.
Last weekend, UBC visited the Alberta Pandas in Edmonton. On Friday, the team was badly outshot, 40-5, in a 4-0 loss.
Goaltender
Samantha Langford (1st, Pense, SK) was excellent, making 36 saves. It was a similar story the next night.
Langford was spectacular again, stopping 38 shots in a losing cause. Alberta coach Howie Draper was highly complimentary of Langford.
She was literally outstanding, and she gave her team a chance to win,” said Draper. “She was in a groove tonight, and our whole focus was to stick to the game plan and not get too frustrated.”
Injuries have taken a heavy toll on UBC as the Thunderbirds wind down the season.
UBC is averaging less than a goal a game while the team is also last in the league in goals against.
Tatiana Rafter (2nd, Winnipeg, MB) continues to lead UBC in scoring with nine points in 19 games, while Asay is second on the team with six points.
Manitoba Bisons
2011-12 conference record: 10-7-3 (5th)
Last week: L 0-1, L 5-8 vs. Lethbridge
Streak: 2 losses
The visiting Bisons are trying to chase down the fourth and final playoff spot in the Canada West. Manitoba is five points behind the Lethbridge Pronghorns with two games in hand and will need to leave Vancouver with four points.
Last weekend, Manitoba hosted Lethbridge but lost both games in contrasting fashion. The Bisons dropped a 1-0 game on Friday night then fell behind 7-2 before a valiant comeback fell short in an 8-5 loss on Saturday night.
Manitoba has three players in the top 15 in Canada West scoring.
Nellie Minshull has ten goals and nine assists in 20 games so far this season, while Maggie Litchfield-Medd and Addie Miles both have 16 points in 20 games.
The Bisons are the least penalized team in the Canada West conference.
Tara Lacquette and Leiette Klassen have split the goaltending duties for Manitoba, with Lacquette playing in 11 games, and Klassen appearing in ten.
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