It's a big weekend in many ways for the UBC Thunderbirds as they host the Alberta Pandas for the final weekend of Canada West action in 2019 this Friday and Saturday, November 29
th and 30
th at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
Saturday's contest will also feature the inaugural Winter Thunderland festival including a pre-game public skate as well as interactive games and entertainment, plus the game itself, of course, as the T-Birds aim to head into 2020 on a high note against the defending Canada West champions.
The final series of the calendar year is another strong test for the 'Birds (7-3-1-3) who enter Friday night just one point behind the Calgary Dinos for first place in the conference. The Pandas (7-6-1-0), meanwhile, have won three straight and sit just three points back of the T-Birds.
UBC hit a bit of a road bump last weekend which saw both a six-game win streak and an 11-game point streak come to a halt with a pair of losses to the Mount Royal Cougars. It was the first weekend sweep suffered by the T-Birds since their season opening series against the Pandas in Edmonton.
With redemption on their minds, the 'Birds will look to put last weekend behind them and get a taste of what they hope will be a very prosperous 2020.
Puck drop Friday night at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre is set for 7:00 p.m. PT. Saturday night's Winter Thunderland festivities get underway at 12:30 p.m. PT with puck drop for the game at 3:00 p.m.
CLICK HERE for more information on Winter Thunderland including ticket details.
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Last Action
The Thunderbirds dropped both games at home last weekend to the Mount Royal Cougars, picking up a single point in Friday night's 2-1 overtime loss. The 'Birds kept up to their stingy defensive reputation, but offence was hard to come by despite a combined 11 power play opportunities.
Alberta is coming off back-to-back dominant wins over Manitoba in Edmonton last weekend, outscoring the Bisons by a combined 11-1 margin.
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Players to Watch
Mathea Fischer (#26, F) – UBC's captain leads the team with six assists and is tied for second in overall T-Bird scoring with eight points. The fifth-year forward from Norway is also tied for the best plus/minus on the roster at a +6 and is now just two games away from dressing in 130 over the course of her Thunderbirds career.
Tory Micklash (#31, G) – Having already set new program records for wins and shutouts, the fourth-year goaltender has been lights out for the T-Birds, allowing just six goals against over her last eight starts. She leads the Canada West this season with five shutouts and is second in wins with eight.
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Coach's Take
Taking their lumps last week against Mount Royal was perhaps a blessing in disguise for the 'Birds who had been cruising through the first half of the season.
"Sometimes you get a little too high and then it can bite you at the wrong time, like in the playoffs," said UBC head coach
Graham Thomas. "It's good to learn this stuff right now. It's frustrating, but it's a huge step and lesson we needed to learn."
It's not that the T-Birds were playing poorly last week, but overall sharpness was lacking.
"A lot of our little habits and the things we had been doing so well, being sharp and smart and focussed, we just weren't," admitted Thomas. "It happens but it doesn't define us and we have been playing great hockey so we just have to pick ourselves back up and get back to playing the hockey we were coming into last weekend."
Saturday's Winter Thunderland festival adds a special element to what will be a critical game for the T-Birds, but an event they'll all be sure to take in and enjoy.
"There's a lot of excitement, it'll be something different for these players that they haven't seen before. I love the cause too, focussed on young females and hockey players with community engagement. Plus it's the holiday season and it's a nice tie-in, it should be a terrific day."
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