VANCOUVER – Despite more than 40 shots, the UBC Thunderbirds (5-2-0-0) could only find the back of the net twice which turned out to be just enough for a 2-1 win over the visiting Lethbridge Pronghorns (1-3-2-0) Friday night at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
 
The 'Birds outshot the Pronghorns 43-16 by the time the final buzzer sounded and if not for Alicia Anderson's tremendous performance in Lethbridge's crease the game could have been sealed in the first period.
 
Deadlocked at one late into the second, Logan Boyd drove to the net and picked up her own rebound for her second of the game and fourth of the season for what turned out to be the game winner as the T-Birds held off a late Pronghorns push in the third.
 
"When you've had the majority of puck possession and control and it's a one-goal game and (Lethbridge) gets a power play late and gets some energy, anything can happen so I was really impressed with the composure we had," said UBC head coach Graham Thomas who is now just one win shy of 100 in his Canada West career. "Their goalie was phenomenal, it was tough to get something past her. But we stayed mentally tough and I thought we put a good 60 minutes together. We stuck to the process we just kept making little adjustments, we just kept working at it."
 
Coming into Friday night the 'Horns had only allowed one power play goal against but Boyd's first of the night from Ireland Perrott and Cassandra Vilgrain came on the man advantage on their second opportunity of the game with about four minutes to go in the first period.
 
"It was nice to get back on the scoreboard, it's always good to get some points but also just to get the team win," said Boyd who now leads UBC with four goals on the season. "We knew (Anderson) is a good goalie and you have to get her moving, so you just have to work off rebounds and get your stick in there hard."
 
The 'Birds found themselves on yet another power play in the final minute of the frame but a turnover high in the Pronghorns zone gave the puck right to Delaney Duchek who put herself on a shorthanded breakaway beating Tory Micklash to tie the game at one.
 
Micklash wouldn't be beat again and finished with 13 saves for her fourth win of the season. UBC finished the game 1-for-6 on the power play and a perfect 5-for-5 penalty kill.


 
After dropping their season opener, the T-Birds have now won five of their last six and sit alone in first place atop the Canada West heading into Saturday's rematch with the Pronghorns.
 
"We've had the opportunity to play with a lot of different line combinations and I think everyone is coming together nicely now," added Boyd who feels the team is starting to really gel after adding a large recruiting class over the summer.
 
Puck drop Saturday is set for 2 p.m. PT at Doug Mitchell as UBC goes for their first home ice weekend sweep of the season.