SASKATOON – The UBC Thunderbirds were little more than a minute away from picking up a crucial point and forcing overtime, but the Saskatchewan Huskies scored their second shorthanded goal of the game with 1:17 remaining in the third to earn a 3-2 win Saturday night at Merlis Belsher Place.
 
Levi Cable's shorthanded tally gave the Huskies (17-4-2) their sixth-straight win and 14^th out of their last 15 while the loss ends UBC's three-game point streak as the Thunderbirds (6-12-5) fall back out of a playoff spot.
 
Cable recorded a two-point night for Saskatchewan, while Kohl Bauml and Logan McVeigh also found twine in the victory. Huskies goaltender Taran Kozun improved his record to 14-3-2 with 25 saves on the night.
 
For UBC, Jarret Tyzka opened scoring with his first Canada West goal while Matt Revel provided a pivotal tally as his tip-in tied the game 2-2. Jake Kryski, Jerret Smith and Anthony Bishop all tacked on assists.


 
Rylan Toth did all he could between the pipes for the Thunderbirds, but unfortunately for the netminder, his 37-save performance wasn't enough to record the victory.
 
It took just 3:16 of action in the first period for the visitors to open scoring as they stunned the Huskies crowd. Tyszka ripped home a shot from the slot past Kozun, snapping the Saskatchewan goalie's shutout streak at 132:25 with the tally.
 
However, just 1:29 later, the Huskies responded. Cable and Bauml broke in on a two-on-one, and the pair of fifth-year forwards executed to perfection with Cable saucing the puck across on a silver platter and Bauml making no mistake in firing it past Toth to tie the game.
 
Saskatchewan kept it coming as they took advantage of another odd-man rush late in the frame. Jordan Tkatch broke into the zone and fed Stadnyk, whose one-timer was stopped by Toth, but McVeigh was there to clean up the scraps, banging home his fourth tally of the 2019-20 campaign.


 
With the Huskies taking a 2-1 lead into the intermission the score held until just six minutes remaining in the second when the Thunderbirds struck back. Smith's point shot found a crowd of bodies in front of the net, and it was Revel, the former Saskatoon Blade, who deflected home his third of the season.
 
With overtime looming late in the third, Cable delivered the dagger for the Huskies, as his shorthanded snipe beat Toth to make it 3-2 Saskatchewan, enough for the home side to escape with two points.
 
After the loss and a Regina shootout win Friday night, the 'Birds are now tied in points with the Cougars for the sixth and final playoff berth. But with Regina holding the tie-breaker, UBC is once again forced to battle back into a post-season spot.
 
The 'Birds will get a chance to get back into the playoff mix Saturday when UBC and Saskatchewan battle for the final time this regular season. Puck drop at Merlis Belsher Place is 5:00 p.m. PT.