WINNIPEG – For the second straight game the UBC Thunderbirds out-shot and out-played the Manitoba Bisons, only this time the 'Birds came out on the positive end of things with a 3-1 win in Winnipeg Sunday afternoon, splitting the weekend series at Wayne Fleming Arena.

Fifth-year T-Birds forward Austin Vetterl scored the game winner late in the third and added an empty netter while Rylan Toth made 21 saves for his second win of the season in net.

"We just talked about having a better start and sustaining it throughout the game and that's what we did," said UBC head coach Sven Butenschon who was mostly happy with his team's effort start to finish. "It was good to see Toth stand in there with a couple key saves and we scored a couple goals."



UBC (2-4-2) outshot the Bisons (4-4) by a 48-22 margin but once again ran into a stellar Manitoba goaltender, this time Jeremy Link who made 45 saves in his Bisons debut.

"Their goalie played outstanding again and we had some glorious opportunities especially early on and we still couldn't get rewarded," added Butenschon. "I don't know if I've ever had a team where we have so many scoring chances from prime areas and somehow they're not going in. So, I think when the dam breaks we're going to be a dangerous team."

Following a scoreless first, the 'Birds broke the ice with Austin Glover's team-leading fourth of the season at the 3:39 mark of the second.



The Bisons tied it up with three-and-a-half minutes remaining in the period with Tony Apetagon's first of the season. But UBC got the lead right back less than a minute later when Vetterl got off the schneid with his first of the campaign. The veteran T-Bird put the game on ice when he hit the empty net with just 17 seconds remaining in the third as UBC picked up their second win of the season while earning a second consecutive weekend split.

Sunday afternoon's affair was a quiet one for the officials with both teams awarded just a single power play each, with neither able to capitalize.

Tyler Sandhu picked up a pair of assists Sunday and now sits in a three-way tie with Vetterl and Carter Popoff for the team scoring lead with six points through eight games.

The 'Birds are back on home ice next weekend when they host the Saskatchewan Huskies Friday and Saturday, November 1^st and 2^nd at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.