The Matchup

 
With only a single loss through their six pre-season bouts, the UBC Thunderbirds men's hockey team will look to continue that success as they embark on their 2016-17 CIS season this weekend. After enjoying six straight at home, the 'Birds will open their season on the road with a pair of games against the Saskatchewan Huskies on Friday, October 7 and Saturday, October 8.



Both games commence at 6:00pm (PT). Saskatchewan defeated UBC in three of their four meetings last year, with their final game in January 2016 ending in a 6-2 Huskies victory. The Huskies went 22-6 last regular season, compared with UBC's unfortunate 11-17 record. If the pre-season has been any indication, the Thunderbirds are certainly capable of ending their losing streak against Saskatchewan. 
 

Last Action 

 
UBC's physicality, quality goaltending, high shot counts and scoring depth have helped push them past some tough opponents throughout the pre-season. However, a 6-3 loss to Ryerson and a pair of narrow OT victories over Alberta show that UBC still has room for improvement.
 
After a commanding 6-2 win over Regina to open their pre-season, Saskatchewan hoped to carry momentum forward from last year. Three consecutive losses followed, giving Saskatchewan a harsh wake-up call.
 

By the Numbers 

 
14 - Number of Thunderbirds who contributed to the team's 18 pre-season goals. Scoring depth is clearly a part of UBC's recent success. 
 
9 - Number of goals scored by first and second year Thunderbirds. The younger members of the team are proving themselves early in the season. 
 

Players to Watch

 
Nick Buonassisi (F, #12) - The veteran forward leads his team with three goals and an assist.

 

Matt Hewitt (G, #34) - The Canada West All Star has only allowed a single goal in each of his three starts. With Hewitt and Derek Dun sharing duties between the pipes in the pre-season, it showed that UBC has no shortage of goaltending talent. 
 

Coach's Take

 
"[The Huskies] are definitely going to be a great test for us," said UBC head coach Sven Butenschon. "It's one things to have some pre-season success, and a complete other to do it in the regular season, especially against a team like Saskatchewan."


 
Butenschon feels that if his team can play a simple and effective brand of hockey this weekend, they have a chance of finally beating Saskatchewan.
 
"We're going to have to play a patient game with stingy defence, and see if we can catch them being impatient. If we can go in with a little bit of bite in our game and keep things simple we should do well."