Lethbridge, AB – The offence showed up big time for a second straight game while
Matt Hewitt once again stood on his head as the UBC Thunderbirds (5-3-0) finished off the weekend sweep with a 6-4 win over the Lethbridge Pronghorns (1-6-1).
For much of the game, the Pronghorns controlled play and limited the number of the UBC chances but the Thunderbirds made the most of their opportunities, capitalizing on odd man rushes and power play chances.
"We got into penalty trouble and spent too much time in our zone but the main thing is we stuck together and found a way," said UBC head coach
Sven Butenschon. "If we want to separate ourselves from some of the teams in this league and we want to consider ourselves a contender, you have to go and win the games you're supposed to and you have to win on the road. If we want to climb in the standings you just have to find ways to do it."
For the second night in a row, the Thunderbirds opened the scoring. While on the power play,
Matt Revel picked up his third of the weekend taking a cross ice feed and beating Pronghorns goaltender Ty Edmonds blocker side.
The Pronghorns finally were able to beat T-Birds netminder
Matt Hewitt, coming off a 39 save shutout Friday night, when Spenser Jensen drove the Thunderbirds net and was able to bang home a rebound in tight.
However, the deadlock didn't last long as
Nick Buonassisi intercepted a Pronghorn pass and on a two-on-one fed
Chase Clayton back door for his first of the season.
Six minutes into the second, UBC upped their lead to two when Riley Gunther blocked a shot just inside his own blue line and raced away on a clear breakaway and beat Edmonds five-hole.
Despite only registering five second period shots, the Thunderbirds scored twice more before the frame was done to take a 5-2 lead into the third on
Austin Vetterl's sixth of the season and
Carter Popoff's second.
Austin Glover got into the action at the 7:06 mark of the third with his first Canada West goal on a back-door feed from Buonassisi to chase Edmonds from the net with Jonny Hogue taking over.
"The biggest thing that I'm pleased about would be scoring from everywhere," said Butenschon. "Everybody's chipping in now. Glover gets his first,
Chase Clayton gets his first,
Riley Guenther chipped in from the defence. It's going to take everybody in that room and you can't rely on one line or one player so it's great to see it coming from everywhere and we're going to need that going forward."
The 'Horns scored twice in the final period but couldn't finish off the comeback attempt as the 'Birds won their fourth straight game heading into next weekend's bye.
Both teams scored twice on the power play, UBC on six chances and Lethbridge on eight.
Hewitt finished with 53 saves for his fifth win of the season less than a full day after recording a 39 save shutout and is boasting a remarkable .952 save percentage over his current four game win streak.
The 'Birds get a break from Canada West action next weekend but will be back on the road to visit the second place Saskatchewan Huskies November 10 and 11.
