The Matchup

It's the final road trip of 2017 and perhaps the biggest test of the season for the UBC Thunderbirds (5-6-1) who head to Edmonton to face the No. 1 Alberta Golden Bears (11-1-0) Friday and Saturday, November 24 and 25.

The 'Birds may be heading into hostile territory, but they need only look to last season's trip to Edmonton for inspiration. Back in January, UBC took three out of a possible four points against the eventual Canada West champion Bears, a trip that kickstarted the T-Birds' late-season push to earn a playoff berth.



The 'Birds are 2-1-1 in Edmonton over the past two seasons and also went 2-1-1 against Alberta in last year's season series.

Puck drop Friday is set for 6:00 p.m. PT with Saturday's rematch at 4:00 p.m. PT, both at Clare Drake Arena.
 

Last Action

UBC dropped both games of last weekend's home doubleheader against the Mount Royal Cougars. The 'Birds opened scoring in both games but saw Mount Royal answer with four unanswered goals Friday and three on Saturday in 4-1 and 3-1 losses, respectively.

It was another very strong performance in net by @Rtoth96 finishing with 22 saves. @UBCMHKY continues to get stellar goaltending. One of many good signs going forward.

— Jeff Sargeant (@jeffthesarge) November 19, 2017

The Golden Bears earned a convincing 6-1 win over the Huskies in Saskatoon Friday night but then saw their season-opening 11-game win streak snapped the following night with a 4-0 loss.
 

By the Numbers

4 – The 'Birds have a plus-4 goal differential on the road so far this season, outscoring the opposition 24-20. UBC has a 3-2-1 record away from home, but the Bears are a perfect 6-0 at Clare Drake.

35.3 – The percentage of UBC's goals that have come on the power play. The 'Birds are second only to Saskatchewan in both the number of goals on the man advantage and the overall percentage of goals scored on the power play. The T-Birds still boast the most efficient man advantage at 25.5 percent.
 

Players to Watch

Shaun Dosanjh (#6, D) – After battling through a pre-season injury, rookie defenceman Shaun Dosanjh made his Thunderbirds debut last Friday against the Cougars, scoring his first Canada West goal in the process. Due to a number of injured forwards, Dosanjh played up front last weekend and is expected to do so again against Alberta.



Austin Glover (#20, F) – The rookie forward has jumped right into a prominent role with the T-Birds with five points through his first 10 games. The Saskatoon native has a +2 rating and has been effective at both ends of the ice using physicality and skill in equal measure.
 

Coach's Take

The T-Birds seem to have a knack for getting up for big games and knowing the team they're up against this weekend, UBC head coach Sven Butenschon is hoping that trend continues.

"Alberta has been on an incredible run here, they're the number one team in Canada, so I don't think it's going to be a tough one to get fired up for," said Butenschon who has seen his team go without a point in just one of four meetings with the Bears last season. "The question's going to be can we stay disciplined and stick to the game plan for 60 minutes."

The Golden Bears have no trouble scoring and their depth is impressive, something the 'Birds are fully aware of.

"We know there's going to be some tough shifts, we know they're going to score a goal or two over the weekend, we just can't let one mistake turn into two," said Butenschon who believes last weekend's disappointing results against Mount Royal can be a lesson heading into Edmonton. "If Mount Royal taught us anything it's that it doesn't matter what's on paper or who has better stats. Whoever steps on the ice that night and wants it more and skates harder and wins more puck battles and blocks more shots, they're going to win."