The University of British Columbia Athletics

The No. 10-ranked UBC Thunderbirds men's hockey team is looking to rebound from their first loss of the regular season last weekend as they travel to Winnipeg, Man. for a two-game series against the Manitoba Bisons. (1-2-1). Now 3-0-1 in conference play, the Thunderbirds are currently tied for second in the Canada West standings with the Alberta Golden Bears. Puck drop for the first game between the T-Birds and Bisons is set for 5:30 p.m. (PT) on Saturday, with round two slated for an 11:00 a.m. (PT) start on Sunday.
 
Last weekend saw UBC split a pair of decisions against the Calgary Dinos at home, securing a 4-2 win on Friday, October 16 before falling 3-2 in double overtime on Saturday, October 17. In the win on Friday, Anthony Bardaro was a force from start to finish, as he picked a goal and two assists to power the 'Birds past the Dinos. Matt Hewitt earned the win for UBC in net, stopping 20 of 22 shots.
 
The second contest with Calgary saw Eric Williams take the reins from Hewitt, and he was terrific, making 34 stops over the course of regulation and two overtime periods. However, his efforts weren't quite enough, as Elgin Pierce bagged a goal and an assist for Calgary, including the overtime winner, to end the T-Birds winning streak.
 
The Bisons will be looking to bounce back after a tough weekend against Mount Royal. After dropping both of their games to the Cougars, 6-1 on Friday and 3-1 on Saturday, Manitoba will come out hungry.
 
UBC head coach Adam Shell needs his team to match that hunger, and that pace.
 
"We need to play fast," said Shell when asked about the upcoming matchup. "In the games we haven't played particularly well we've played slow, so we've got to make sure we set the pace. I think we're in a pretty good headspace where we've done what we sort of wanted to in the first four games and we'd like to keep it going."
 
Shell and the Thunderbirds build their gameplan around a solid defense, as captain Neil Manning, in his fourth year, is leading an inexperienced, but talented corps. Riding shotgun with Manning is another fourth-year Scott MacDonald, who has two points in four games, while first-year defenders Josh Connolly and Kyle Becker have added a dynamic layer to the T-Birds' transition game.
 
"Our game starts from how we defend," Shell said. "When we defend well, then we get the puck moving north and we're in good shape. Our leading scorer, Anthony Bardaro (Delta, B.C.) has been terrific in generating offence, both on special teams and five-on-five. Luke Lockhart (Burnaby, B.C.) has pretty much been a Mr. Everything for us - he plays with anybody and any situation, and is exceptionally reliable."
 
Shell readily admits that the Thunderbirds haven't been at their best so far, but their record indicates that, even as they are now, the 'Birds can play with anyone.
 
"We're missing a few other veteran players, and that's a pretty big chunk of experience, talent, and moxie out of the lineup, but we've been managing. We've been more than managing."