VANCOUVER – The Simon Fraser Clan struck first but the UBC Thunderbirds responded with four unanswered goals, two of them on the power play, in a 4-1 win Friday night at Father Bauer Arena.
Second-year forward
Tyler Sandhu scored the eventual game winner late in the second on the man advantage and added an assist in the third as UBC can now clinch their second straight Captains Cup with a win over the Trinity Western Spartans Saturday afternoon.
"For whatever reason we looked a little rusty with our hands but in the second period we really got pucks deep and just wore them down," said UBC head coach
Sven Butenschon. You just have to stick to the process on nights like that and eventually the dam will break and hopefully you capitalize. It was a real tight-checking game, we waited to capitalize on our power play and it looked good."
UBC's Captains Cup opener saw a fairly uneventful first period. Simon Fraser had two power play chances but were unable to capitalize as the game remained scoreless heading into the second.
The visitors struck first with seven minutes remaining in the middle frame when SFU captain Mathew Berry-Lamontagna's shot from high in the zone got through traffic and past a screened
Rylan Toth.
SFU's lead lasted less than two minutes as fourth-year defenceman
Josh Connolly sniped his third of the pre-season over Ryan Sandrin's right shoulder and just under the bar.
Carter Popoff picked up the lone assist.
"
Josh Connolly has been red-hot for us and got us going," added Butenschon. "This is the first time in a few years he's been able to train all summer and come into camp and get a lot of reps in. Now you're seeing him healthy and it's a pleasure to watch."
Just over three minutes later, the T-Birds took the lead when Sandhu fired a beauty of his own, bar-down, on the power play from
Austin Vetterl and
Jerret Smith.
Up 2-1 after two, the final period belonged to the Thunderbirds. UBC staked a two-goal lead when Vetterl one-timed a Colton Kehler pass on another power play at the 10:38 mark.
Just over a minute later, SFU thought they had got back within one, but the goal was disallowed due to goaltender interference with Toth having no chance to make the save.
Simon Fraser went on their fourth power play of the game with five minutes remaining but
Michael Stenerson stole the puck in the neutral zone and skated in two-on-one with Quentin Greenwood. The veteran forward made no mistake with his first of the preseason to give UBC some added insurance and a 4-1 lead.
The 'Birds had a perfect night on special teams going 2-for-2 on the power play and a perfect 5-for-5 on the kill along with Stenerson's shorthanded tally. Toth made 22 saves for his second win of the preseason. Simon Fraser split their net between Sandrin and Michael Lenko.
Now 4-1 in exhibition play, the Thunderbirds host the Spartans for the Captains Cup finale Saturday, also UBC's final preseason tuneup before the regular season begins next weekend.
The Spartans lost their Captains Cup opener, 4-3 to Simon Fraser last Saturday. Should TWU win the finale by a single goal, all three teams would be tied with a 1-1 record. The series' first tie-breaker is total goals scored, meaning the Spartans need to win Saturday by at least two. The second tie-breaker is fewest total goals against followed by fewest penalty minutes.
Puck drop for the second annual Captains Cup finale is 2:00 p.m. PT at Father Bauer Arena.
