The University of British Columbia Athletics

Vancouver, BC - Following a pair of disappointing losses to the Alberta Pandas last weekend, the No.6 ranked UBC Thunderbirds women's hockey team will play host to the Manitoba Bisons on Friday and Saturday at UBC's Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
 
Until last weekend in Alberta, UBC had not lost consecutive games once this season, nor were they familiar with defeat much at all with an overall record of 16-5-1 so far. But impressive records can be dangerous; sinking into a state of self-complacency is a constant threat, and the line between poise and overconfidence is a fine one. Whether this issue is what led to UBC's demise last weekend doesn't matter now, but as the team strives to fend off challengers for the top spot in the conference, even a hint of complacency moving forward could very will topple them.
 
The Thunderbirds no doubt took the lesson from last weekend and will march forward acknowledging it all as a part of the process. Hopefully this means they'll be back with more ferocity than ever before, and if their work ethic this week at practice is any indication then we can hope to see the 'Birds come flying out of the gates against Manitoba.
 
"We have to match [Manitoba's] compete level and work ethic – we know that they're going to bring that. The Bisons are a really hardworking group and we need to match that, so our focus this week was to work hard on and off the ice. We've been increasing intensity and tempo to make sure that every time we go out there we're giving our best," said head coach Graham Thomas.
 
"Trusting our own systems and abilities is going to be the key to this weekend. We have proven that we can have success doing that, so we just have to believe in it and get back to doing everything as a team."
 
In their last contest against Manitoba the T-Birds split the two-game series with one win and one loss. Since then the Bisons have registered a 13-5-4 record and have picked up 6 wins in their last 10 games, which places them merely 3 points shy of UBC in 4^th place in the Canada West. Unlike the top 3 teams (UBC, Alberta, and Saskatchewan) Manitoba is yet to clinch a playoff spot and will certainly be prepared to lay down the blood, sweat, and tears to do so, meaning the T-Birds will need to eclipse the Bisons' speed and aggression to keep them at bay.
 
Just beneath UBC's Tatiana Rafter (29 points) and Saskatchewan's Cami Wooster (24 points), Bison defender Kyleigh Palmer ranks third in conference scoring with 22 points. Manitoba forwards Meagan Vestby and Maggie Litchfield-Medd also sit in the top ten.
 
The two games this weekend will be a pair of matinees with puckdrop on Friday at 4:00 pm and on Saturday at 2:00 pm at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.