SASKATOON – The Saskatchewan Huskies scored the final two goals of the game to end the UBC Thunderbirds' season with a 2-1 victory Saturday afternoon at Rutherford Rink, sweeping the best-of-three Canada West semifinal.

The Huskies avenge their semifinal loss to the 'Birds last season while UBC fails to advance to the Canada West final series for the first time in three years.

"We just ran out of time," said UBC head coach Graham Thomas shortly after his team's first series loss in three years. "We came out flying and playing Thunderbird hockey. We had a couple bounces not go our way, a couple calls not go our way and a couple chances to score and just weren't able to beat a really good goalie, and that's the difference."

Down by a goal from the halfway mark of the first period, the Huskies scored at 11:20 and 14:46 in the second frame for the win. Saskatchewan advances to the Canada West final next weekend for the third time in team history. The win also books a trip to the national championship hosted by the Western Mustangs in London, Ontario.

UBC opened scoring at 10:38 of the first period. Alexa Ranahan's shot from the point snuck through traffic in front of Huskies' goaltender Jessica Vance into the bottom left corner.



Huskies' captain Kiatlin Willoughby evened the score with a power play goal at 11:20 in the second period. Willoughby's slap shot beat Amelia Boughn through the wickets. Chloe Smith broke the tie just three minutes later when the Huskies' forward picked up the puck at the blue line and chipped it over Boughn's pad at 14:46.

UBC did their best to tie the game in the final 20 minutes outshooting the Huskies 10-4 in the frame. The T-Birds had an extra advantage in the final 35 seconds when Willoughby was called for roughing but only registered one shot.

Boughn made 25 saves for the T-Birds while Vance stopped 27 at the other end of the ice.

The game marked the end of four Thunderbirds' U SPORTS' careers in defencemen Alexa Ranahan and Kirsten Toth as well as forwards Kathleen Cahoon and Cassandra Vilgrain.

"We have to keep our heads up and be proud of how the way we played for our seniors and how they themselves played," added Thomas. "We're so proud of all they did for this team pouring all their heart and energy into it."

The Huskies will face the winner of the Alberta Pandas-Manitoba Bisons semifinal series next weekend.