SASKATOON – Each time the UBC Thunderbirds took a lead, the host Saskatchewan Huskies had an answer, and then scored in double overtime to hand the 'Birds a 4-3 loss to start the weekend double header Friday night at Merlis Belsher Place.
Shyan Elias' late equalizer and Kayla Kirwan's game winner powered the Huskies (4-2-3-0) to their third overtime win of the season while the 'Birds (4-2-1-2) lose their third straight but still picked up a valuable point and now sit in a three-way tie with Mount Royal and Alberta for third in the conference.
Chloe Smith and Elias each tallied a goal and an assist for the Huskies, while Bailee Bourassa and Kirwan also found the back of the net for the home team.
Emily Costales recorded a two-point night for the Thunderbirds with a goal and an assist, while Brie Bellerive and Mathea Fisher also added goals.
Shay-Lee McConnell and
Hannah Clayton-Carroll found their way onto the scoresheet with an assist each.
Rookie goaltender Camryn Drever kicked aside 32 of the 35 shots thrown in her way in her first career start at home as a member of the Huskies.
Meanwhile,
Amelia Boughn stopped 20 of the 24 shots she faced for the Thunderbirds.
The match-up served as the first meeting between the two teams since last year's Canada West semifinal at Rutherford Arena, where Saskatchewan swept UBC in the best-of-three series.
The Thunderbirds had a glorious opportunity to get on the board midway through the first period as Fischer was set up on the doorstep. But the fourth-year forward wasn't able to connect on her shot attempt, keeping the game scoreless.
UBC continued to dial up the offensive chances on an opening frame power play as a Fischer wrister got past Drever but rang off the crossbar and ricocheted out of play.
In the waning minutes of the first period, Fischer was the beneficiary of her third grade-A scoring opportunity of the first period after a centring pass from behind the Saskatchewan net found her right in the slot, however, Drever was able to shut the door.
After one frame, the teams entered the locker rooms with the game deadlocked at zeros. The Thunderbirds outshot the Huskies 8-7 in the first period.
Early in the second frame, UBC broke the stalemate when Bellerive's wrister from the slot got past a screened Drever to put the road team ahead 1-0.
However, the Huskies had a response, as Elias set up Bourassa in front of the cage and the third-year forward wired home the puck to tie the game back up just moments later.
Momentum continued to swing wildly when the Thunderbirds took the lead back with just under two minutes to play in the second period. Clayton-Carroll's pass went tape-to-tape to Costales, who niftily dropped the puck off for Fischer, who made no mistake and finished off the beautiful passing play as she roofed it over top of Drever's outstretched glove.
Saskatchewan picked up the equalizer just over five minutes into the final frame, as Chloe Smith skated coast to coast and went short side past Boughn.
With just under five minutes to play in regulation, McFadden's beautiful stretch pass sprung Costales who went bar down on Drever to give the Thunderbirds a 3-2 lead.
However, with time winding down in the third, the Huskies were not ready to give up. Shirley recovered the loose puck and spotted Elias entering the zone who sniped home her first goal of the season, tying the game and sending it to overtime.
After five minutes of four-on-four failed to solve anything, the two teams hoped three-on-three would be the deciding factor.
Saskatchewan would eventually get rewarded for consistent pressure in the extra frame, as Kayla Kirwan broke into the zone and slid the puck past Boughn to record the game-winning goal in double overtime.
The 'Birds will look for the weekend split Saturday as the two teams play the back half of their weekend set with puck drop set for 5:00 p.m. PT.
