Regina, Sask – The UBC Thunderbirds erased a two-goal deficit in the third period and needed three shootout goals to defeat the Regina Cougars 4-3 Friday night, extending their season high winning streak to six games. Six different Thunderbirds got on the score sheet as UBC swept a weekend series for just the second time this season.
Brad Hoban,
Greg Fraser and
Luke Lockhart had tallies for the Thunderbirds while Christian Magnus, Tyler Penny and Ryan Dech scored for the Cougars.
Cole Wilson would score the game winner in the shootout. With the victory, the Thunderbirds inch closer to .500 as their record improves to 7-10-1 while the Cougars fall to 9-10-1. With the victory, UBC moves into sole possession of the sixth and final playoff spot in the Canada West.
UBC got on the board midway through the first when Hoban located a loose puck out front of the Regina net and snuck one past Lucas Gore for his fifth of the season.
Neil Manning and
Nate Fleming collected the assists as UBC converted on its only power play opportunity of the period.
The teams would enter the dressing room at one apiece as Magnus ripped one off the draw after Ian McNulty won the offensive zone faceoff with 10 seconds remaining in the first. The marker was Magnus' sixth of the year as McNulty collected his first career CIS point in what was the former SJHL Player of the Year's fourth game as a Cougar.
The Cougars would carry that momentum through to the second frame and take its first lead of the game eight minutes in. Penny, the fourth year veteran, showed great patience keeping the puck himself on a 3-on-1 as he outwaited Stanford and snapped home his fifth of the season.
The Cougars would turn their one goal lead into two as the second period was winding down as a Dech fired one from the point through traffic fooling Stanford. The unassisted tally was Dech's first of the year.
Fraser cut the lead in half as a UBC power play expired, good for his fifth of the year with the assist going to Hoban giving him a multi-point game.
Matt Wray left for the dressing room shortly thereafter, after going awkwardly into the boards but was able to return.
Lockhart potted the equalizer with perhaps the play of the night as he maneuvered his way between the Regina defenders via a curl-and-drag and fired one blocker side on Gore. The tie would last through the remainder of the third and despite a number of chances in the first and second overtime periods, highlighted by a breakaway chance from
Cole Wilson, the game would go to a shootout.
After Cody Fowlie and Lockhart scored for the Cougars and Thunderbirds, respectively, Penny forced UBC to score to keep the game alive.
Anthony Bardaro was up to the challenge, however, forcing a fourth round. Stanford would stand tall in the extra round, which gave way to Wilson who buried the game winner.
Getting his second start in as many nights, Stanford collected consecutive victories on the weekend making 33 saves on Saturday night.
At the other end of the ice, Gore got the start and continued the team's streak of alternating goalies in each of the team's weekend series this season. Gore was equally good in the loss, putting aside 35 of the 38 shots he faced, while also being credited with an assist on the second Cougar's goal.
UBC was without the services of
Scott MacDonald and defenceman
Wes Vannieuwenhuizen, with the latter missing Saturday's game after exiting last night's matchup midway through the second period with a lower-body injury.
The Thunderbirds return home next weekend for a tilt against the Alberta Golden Bears, who sit in second in the Canada West and have lost just twice this season.
