LETHBRIDGE, Alta. – It took a shootout, but the U SPORTS third-ranked UBC Thunderbirds increased their win streak to five with a 3-2 win over the Lethbridge Pronghorns in Friday night Canada West women's hockey action.

After both failed to score in the first three rounds, Mathea Fischer made a slick move to beat Pronghorn goaltender Alicia Anderson for the victory.

With the win the Thunderbirds move to 12-4-3-2 but after only earning two points and Manitoba earning a full three points with a regulation win over Mount Royal Cougars, the T-Birds and Bisons are now tied for top spot in the conference.



The loss drops the Pronghorns to 3-13-2-3 on the season but with one point, the Pronghorns keep their slim playoff hopes alive. After Friday night's action, the Pronghorns are seven points back of Mount Royal for the final spot.

The loss was also the Pronghorns 11th one-goal loss of the season.

Ireland Perrott and Hannah Clayton-Carroll scored in regulation time, while Mackenzie Gal and Kyra Greig responded for the Pronghorns.

UBC opened the scoring just past the seven minute mark. Ireland Perrott picked up her third of the season, breaking in on the right wing and snapped a shot high glove, beating Pronghorn goaltender Alicia Anderson.

The remainder of the period was a tight checking contest with neither team allowing very many scoring chances. UBC outshot the Pronghorns 6-4 in the period with three of the four Pronghorn shots coming on the power play.

Picking up where they left off the previous period, the second started with the same defensive hockey with very few whistles.

On their second power play of the period, the Pronghorns tied the game at one. Mackenzie Gal walked off the half boards and beat a screened Tory Micklash high blocker. The goal was the third of the season for Gal.

Just over five-minutes later, the Pronghorns took their first lead of the night. Katelyn Breitkreuz sprung freshman Kyra Greig for a breakaway and Greig made no mistake on Micklash, beating her low blocker for her team leading fifth of the season.

In addition to scoring twice, the Pronghorns had the better of the play, outshooting the Thunderbirds 11 to 8 in the frame.

The defending Canada West Champion UBC Thunderbirds got off to a perfect start to the third period, tying the game only 1:17 into the period. Hannah Clayton-Carroll found herself all alone in front and slotted home her 11th of the season, which is tied for the Canada West lead.

Following the tying goal, UBC earned consecutive power plays but the Pronghorns' penalty killing unit was able to kill of both penalties to keep the game deadlocked at two.



UBC continued to press the action but were unable to breakthrough Anderson, directing more shots on Anderson in the first 14 minutes of the third period than they did in the opening two periods. UBC had 13 shots through 40 minutes and registered 14 in that span of the third.

However, the Pronghorns weren't without chances of their own in the period, directing 10 shots in the period but their best chance came from Breitkreuz, who beat a T-Bird defender to the front of the net but not Micklash.
With a power play in overtime, the Pronghorns held the offensive zone through the majority of the two minutes but were unable to capitalize on the opportunity.

Early in the second overtime Clayton-Carroll found herself alone in front, after a defensive miscue but Anderson sprawled to make a highlight glove save.

Anderson finished the night with 33 saves in the loss, while Micklash stopped 30 Pronghorns shots.

Thunderbirds head coach Graham Thomas was pleased his team was able to pull out a win despite a less than desirable start to the contest.

"We came out really flat in the first couple of periods so that was unacceptable in not being prepared or mentally sharp but a lot of credit to Lethbridge who played great. They have a hard working team and good goaltending but we can't afford to come out the way we did, so we have to learn from it and the positive was that we showed some desperation and heart in the third period, overtime and the shootout."

The Pronghorns and Thunderbirds square off again tomorrow afternoon at Nicholas Sheran Arena, puck drop is slated for 3 p.m. Catch all the action on www.canadawest.tv.