VANCOUVER - The No. 9 ranked UBC Thunderbirds women's hockey team (11-6-3-2) will be on the road for the second consecutive weekend, as they visit the Lethbridge Pronghorns (8-11-2-1) in hopes of keeping their five game win-streak alive.
Puck drop for the first game is set for 6:00 p.m. (PT) on Friday, January 29, while the second tilt will start at 12:00 p.m. (PT) on Saturday, January 30.
The T-Birds' impressive form of late has them on their second five game win-streak of the 2015/16 season. Their first run came between October 9 and 23, while their current streak has helped them earn them the top spot in the Canada West standings.
The goaltending efforts of
Danielle Dube (New Westminster, B.C.) have been a large part of UBC's recent success. Dube has only allowed four goals in her four starts since January 8, and her .940 SV% has her ranked tenth nationally.
Samantha Langford (Pense, Sask.) was in net last Saturday and her 33-save performance, which resulted in a 3-1 T-Birds victory over the Saskatchewan Huskies, proved that UBC has no shortage of talent between the pipes.
UBC's offense has also been dominant as of late. The team is ranked second for total assists (89) and fifth for goals (52) across all of the CIS.
Rebecca Unrau (Humboldt Sask.) scored her team-leading 20th point of the season last Saturday, while
Kelly Murray (Medicine Hat, Alta.) also added a pair of helpers, giving her 11 assists this season.
Where UBC has excelled most is in the depth of their scoring and playmaking. Six Thunderbirds have passed the double-digit point mark, while every single T-Bird has recorded at least a point this season.
UBC head coach
Graham Thomas acknowledged that this full-team effort is a large part of the Thunderbirds' recent streak.
"Our success right now is mostly due to our depth, preparation, process and team buy into the game plan," said Thomas. "Our goaltending depth has always been a strength and it's great right now to have both goalies playing solid."
After dropping their first four contests of 2016, the Pronghorns seemed to turn a corner last weekend, as they claimed all six possible points with 3-2 and 2-1 wins over the Manitoba Bisons.
Forwards Lauren Frederich and Kristen Reeves, alongside defender Jocelyn Sabourin, lead the Horns with 13, 11, and 10 points, respectively. Lethbridge can also rely on sturdy goaltending from Alicia Anderson, who has been in net for all ten Horns victories this season. Anderson has maintained a .931 SV% and faced 591 shots, the most of any goaltender in the league.
Cause for concern rests in the fact that UBC fell to the Horns in back-to-back games when they last played in early October, dispatching the host T-Birds by scores of 3-2 and 3-1.
Thomas' outlook for the rest of the season is one of cautious optimism.
"We are in a good position right now and are in control of our own destiny, which is a great feeling," acknowledged Thomas. "Still, with six games left, every team still has something to play for so anything can happen."
