EDMONTON – The UBC Thunderbirds men's hockey team lost 5-1 to top-ranked Alberta Saturday at Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton. Five different players found the back of the net for the hosts. Dylan Bredo, Jamie Crooks, Luke Philp, Ryan Rehill, and Steven Owre scored for Alberta, who earned their conference-leading 13th win of the season (13-1-0).

UBC leading scorer Austin Vetterl found the net in the third for the 'Birds on a power play with Austin Glover and Jerret Smith picking up the helpers.

The Golden Bears offence, similar to the night before, found their rhythm early in the game. Unlike last night, which was led by three players each with three points, tonight was an all-around team performance. That was especially true in the first period as three different lines contributed on offence for Alberta who led 4-0 after 20 minutes. Bredo and Crooks scored in the opening seven minutes, before Philp's tally 11 minutes in chased starter Rylan Toth who gave up three goals on seven shots.

"It wasn't the start we were looking for," said UBC head coach Sven Butenschon. "Going into any game against Alberta you have to pay a really patient, smart game and capitalize on your opportunities, but when you fall down by a few quickly it's a real test of your mental fortitude."



Rehill capped off the tremendous first period with a bullet from the point late in the first, his first of the season, to extend the Bears' lead to four.

The Thunderbirds managed just six shots in the second and nine in the third, all but one of which was turned aside by the rookie Bears goalie. Owre scored his fourth of the season early in the third, quickly eliminating any thoughts of a UBC comeback.

Vetterl snapped Sawchenko's shutout bid with his team-leading eighth goal in the final three minutes of the third. In just 14 games this season, Vetterl has already equalled last year's goal output, and is just one shy of his career-high of nine which he set in 2015-16.

"I was impressed and proud of the guys for the way they responded," said Butenschon who liked his team's effort after falling down early. "It would have been easy to just quit, but they stuck with it and worked extremely hard. Unfortunatley we didn't get the result we were looking for, but we played hard."

The Golden Bears will square off with the Mount Royal Cougars in a home-and-home series next weekend in the final pair of games before the winter break. UBC (5-8-1) will head home for a weekend doubleheader against the Manitoba Bisons.







"There's some good promising things that were happening. To kill that many penalties, to stick together and to be positive on the bench was good to see."