WINNIPEG, MB – The UBC Thunderbirds (1-1-0) saw a 2-0 second period lead evaporate as the Manitoba Bisons (1-1-0) scored three times for a 3-2 win to split the season opening series at Winnipeg's Wayne Fleming Arena Sunday afternoon.
Austin Vetterl followed up his two-goal outing Saturday night with another pair of power play markers in the first period Sunday. But after tying the game up early in the third, Manitoba scored their second power play goal of the game with seven minutes remaining on what proved to be the game winner.
"They found their game in the second period," said UBC head coach
Sven Butenschon who felt his team should be coming home with four points rather than two.
"They simplified it, they weren't playing the run and gun and they capitalized one more time than we did. We were in total control of the game, we just have to learn how to put teams down in that situation."
The home team took firm control in the final period first by tying the game with a Brett Brooks goal at the 3:31 mark and then taking their first lead with the eventual game winner by Brett Stovin at 12:47 on the power play.
The 'Birds received a late man advantage of their own turning it into a 6-on-4 with
Rylan Toth on the bench for the extra attacker but they couldn't find the equalizer.
Manitoba outshot the 'Birds 29-16 with Byron Spriggs picking up the win in net for the Bisons.
UBC went 2-for-7 on the power play while the Bisons finished 2-for-5.
The T-Birds now return back to Vancouver and get ready for their home opener against the Calgary Dinos on Friday, October 13 at Father Bauer Arena.
"If anything comes out of this it's learning to play against a team that's willing to sit back, and that's what Calgary does," added Butenschon.
"They're real smart, they're positionally sound and they wait for you to make a mistake so that could be a good lesson learned for us going into next week."
Puck drop on Friday is set for 7:00 p.m. PT for the first of a weekend double header in a rematch of last year's Canada West quarterfinal.
