With a home playoff berth locked up, the No. 10 UBC Thunderbirds close out the regular season hosting the Regina Cougars Friday and Saturday, February 8 and 9 at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre for what could be a first-round playoff preview.

The T-Birds (12-5-4-5) enter the weekend locked in third place in the Canada West with the possibility of hosting Regina (9-12-2-3) again in a week's time for a conference quarter-final as the Cougars currently sit in fifth, just three points ahead of Mount Royal.



UBC appears to be hitting their stride at just the right time winning four of their last five with points in each. The 'Birds took both games against the Cougars in Regina in November and can clinch the season series with a win Friday night.

Saturday will mark the final regular season game for both teams while the T-Birds will also honour their six graduating seniors in Celine Tardif, Emily Costales, Madison Patrick, Amelia Boughn, Logan Boyd, and Brie Bellerive.

Puck drop Friday is 7:00 p.m. PT with Saturday's regular season finale set for 2:00 p.m. PT, both at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
 

Last Action

UBC earned three points against the first-place Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg last weekend. The 'Birds earned a single point in an overtime loss Friday night and got the win in a shootout on Saturday to split the season series.

The Cougars swept the host Calgary Dinos last weekend with a pair of 2-1 wins.
 

Players to Watch

Ireland Perrott (#23, F) – The second-year forward had three assists in Winnipeg last weekend giving her seven points in her last six games. The Calahoo, Alberta native has set a new career high with 10 points while working on a +7 rating.



Ashley McFadden (#13, F) – The rookie forward from Winnipeg has jumped into the T-Bird scoring lead after a pair of assists last Saturday. McFadden leads UBC in both goals (eight) and points (15) and is second in Canada west rookie scoring.
 

Coach's Take

The Thunderbirds appear to be not only finding their form at the right time, but have been benefitting from some balanced scoring.

"We're starting to push at the right time, there's a real strong sense of belief in this group," said UBC head coach Graham Thomas. "It's great to see the balanced scoring, that's been the strength of our program since day one. That's what's going to help us be dangerous down the stretch along with goaltending."

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Getting to Know Your Seniors Epi. 1 Name: Amelia Boughn (Bono, Meals or Cheese) Hometown: Toronto, Ontario Favourite Cheese: Brie Amelia transferred to UBC in the 2016/2017 season from Cornell. She attended Hockey Canada's U22 camp in 2017. This season she has a 1.3 GAA and a 0.936 SV% Amelia is looking to go into Medical School after graduation and to play professional hockey. She is a great leader on and off the ice, her dedication and compete level is one to be envied. Though she is very competitive she also has one of the biggest hearts. Cheers to Senior weekend!

A post shared by UBC Women's Hockey (@ubcwhky) on Feb 5, 2019 at 10:05am PST

While focussing on a solid weekend of results, Saturday afternoon will also be a bittersweet game for the 'Birds who will see six highly impactful players dress for their final regular season game at home.

"We're sad to see them go and we want to fight hard as a team to keep their season going as long as we possibly can," added Thomas whose seniors are guaranteed at least two more home playoff appearances. "They've all been big contributors to the program and great character people. We're all excited for what the next stage of life has for them but we'd like to take care of some business here first."