VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds moved into first place in the Canada West women's hockey standings with a 4-3 victory Saturday night over the visiting Saskatchewan Huskies at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
 
Haneet Parhar (West Vancouver), Stephanie Schaupmeyer (Kelowna, B.C.), Madison Patrick (Winnipeg) and Kelly Murray (Calgary) found the net for UBC.
 
Lauren Zary scored her first two goals of the season on Saturday, while Marley Ervine added the other goal for Saskatchewan, which led 2-1 in the second period before three straight UBC goals allowed the home side to complete the weekend sweep.
 
Though UBC is now the team to beat, head coach Graham Thomas doesn't plan to change much in his team's preparation between games.
 
"We have to keep focussing on the things that we've been doing well, what got us to this point," he said. "I think what it is going to do is help push us in our preparation and work ethic during the week because now that we are on top, everyone's going to be coming for us."
 
Huskies forward Zary beat UBC goaltender Samantha Langford (Pense, Sask.) on a 2-on-1 attack to give Saskatchewan the lead for the only time during Saturday's contest. Ervine passed to Zary who walked in and fired from Langford's glove side just below the hash marks. Her shot found the top corner to put the Huskies up 2-1 at 12:06 into the second.
 
UBC answered back in 32 seconds. At 12:38, Shaupmeyer caught a pass in the high slot from Nicole Saxvik (North Vancouver). Shaupmeyer's shot caught the inside of the post to tie the game 2-2.
 
The Thunderbirds' third goal came with just over a minute left in the period. Defenceman Patrick's point shot went through traffic and past Saskatchewan goalie Cassidy Hendricks to give the 'Birds the lead again. Shaupmeyer got the assist, her second point of the night.
 
UBC extended its lead early in the third frame during a power play. Fifty-eight seconds into the third, Murray fired from the point to get the eventual game-winning goal, after UBC had been peppering Hendricks and pressuring the Huskies in their own zone.
 
Late in the final period, Zary added her second goal of the night, but the Huskies couldn't complete the comeback, falling by a goal.

Saturday saw seven goals in regulation a night after UBC needed double overtime to earn a 1-0 victory. Schaupmeyer, who notched two points on Saturday –a goal and an assist –, commented on what UBC did differently.
 
"We found a way to make space in their end, find the quiet ice and bang it home."
 
The first time UBC found the "quiet ice" was at 5:27 of the opening period.
 
UBC's Parhar found herself alone in the slot after a pass from second-year forward Logan Boyd (Waterdown, Ont.). Parhar hit the top left corner over Hendricks to begin the scoring for UBC. It was Parhar's first goal of the season.
 
Later in the first, Huskies co-points leader, Ervine, scored a shorthanded, unassisted goal for the Huskies at 14:54. She stole a UBC pass and fired high from the slot. The shot caught the top right corner over the shoulder of UBC's Langford and tied the game 1-1.
 
At 13:45, Boyd was in the slot. She received a pass from Devon Morrison (Ancaster, Ont.). Boyd fired from point-blank range, and Hendricks was there to deny the UBC chance. Hendricks started both games this weekend.

In the last minute of the first, Saskatchewan co-points-leader, Julia Flinton, lined a low slap shot from the point on Langford. Despite bodies in the way, she tracked it and threw her pad out just in time to make the save and keep the first frame tied 1-1.
 
Langford stopped 20 shots in all to earn the victory while Saskatchewan's Hendricks also made 20 saves on the night, on 24 shots against.
 
The Thunderbirds earned 10 power plays on the night, scoring on one. The Huskies didn't convert either of their two opportunities.
 
"We knew that they were going to push back hard," said Schaupmeyer. "I think we matched that and challenged them back. We came out hard tonight.
 
"I think we played really disciplined. I think they took some undisciplined penalties and we didn't let it get to us. We just played our game."
 
Prior to the contest, players and fans observed a moment of silence to honour those killed and affected by the terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday.

UBC (6-2-3-1) plays next weekend in Edmonton against the Alberta Pandas while Saskatchewan hosts Manitoba. The Thunderbird games will go at 6 p.m. PT on Friday and at 1 p.m. PT on Saturday.