CALGARY – Three goals within a three minute span in the second period for the host Mount Royal Cougars was the difference as the UBC Thunderbirds opened 2019 with a 5-2 loss Friday night at Flames Community Arenas.
The 'Birds got unlucky early hitting iron twice in the opening frame but the game remained scoreless heading into the second where things unraveled.
UBC bounced back with an Austin Vetterl goal late in the middle frame but the 'Birds surrendered two more in the third as they drop their first game of the season to the Cougars and just their second loss in their last seven games.
"The way we played the first two periods wasn't close to the way we need to play if we want to be successful," said a disappointed UBC head coach Sven Butenschon. "I can't stress how important the work ethic is. First of all you have to outwork the guy you're going against, second of all you have to keep it simple and not try to go one-on-one and go through the middle of the ice."
A scoreless and fast-paced first period saw the Cougars press the T-Birds' defence to the brink of collapse had goaltender Rylan Toth not been able to answer the calls.
After stopping Jamal Watson early in the period, Toth shut the door on Cougar forward Connor Rankin on a breakaway. Toth stopped 23 on the night.
At the other end of the ice, Riley Morris stood at attention when he was needed and stopped the only two pucks sent his way in the first period. But a heavy late push from the 'Birds saw Morris stand up to 17 shots on his way to the win.
The MRU offence came alive in the second frame as three goals just 3:26 apart secured the two points the Cougars needed to bridge the gap in the league standings as both teams now have 20 points, just a single point back of the third place Calgary Dinos.
Rankin redeemed his missed chance from the first and buried a one-timer at 5:56 to break the scoreless deadlock. After Watson took hold of a UBC turnover on the blue line, he smoothly glided the puck towards Rankin who blasted it from the top of the right faceoff circle for his team-leading fifth goal of the season.
Less than three minutes later after heavy pressure, the puck landed on a waiting Lindgren who waltzed into the top of the slot and wired a shot just over Toth's glove hand. The next shift, he found an open pocket of ice and one-timed his second straight shot into the back of the net.
UBC got on the board courtesy Vetterl's seventh of the season as the veteran forward wired a perfectly placed shot into the top corner and over the glove of with just under three minutes remaining in the second.
Two empty net tallies credited to Chris Gerrie and Jesse Lees iced the game for the Cougars but 'Birds' forward Chase Clayton shovelled the puck in with less than a minute remaining.
"It's been a few games now where our forwards haven't been finding the scoresheet very much," added Butenschon. "Two goals by forwards in our last three games is not enough to win, so we have to find some offence here pretty quick."
The T-Birds will look for that added offence while going for the weekend split to get back ahead of the Cougars in the tight Canada West standings Saturday afternoon. Puck drop at Flames Community Arenas is set for 2:00 p.m. PT.
