VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds (8-11-1-4) host the Lethbridge Pronghorns (7-13-1-3) in an all-important series at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre with their Canada West playoff hopes on the line. The sixth-place T-Birds (30 points) are just four points up on the Pronghorns (26 points) for the final postseason berth with two weekends remaining in the regular season.
The 'Birds swept the Pronghorns in convincing fashion earlier this season, winning 4-1 and 5-0 in Lethbridge over two months ago.
Game one is the annual Bell Let's Talk game to help raise awareness and combat stigma surrounding mental illness. Puck drop is slated for Friday, January 31, at 7:00 p.m. PT, with game two scheduled for Saturday, February 1, at 3:00 p.m. PT.
Last Action
UBC fell in back-to-back games against the Saskatchewan Huskies on home ice last weekend and have now lost 10 of their last 11 outings. The Huskies scored two unanswered goals in the third period of game one to win 4-3, then potted another two goals in the final frame of game two for a 3-1 victory and the series sweep. Hannah Clayton-Carroll had two goals and an assist over the weekend, while Jaedon Cooke added a goal and an assist.
Lethbridge has lost six of their last seven matchups, but split their home-and-home series with the fifth-place Mount Royal Cougars (10-13-1-0, 32 points) last weekend. The Pronghorns took a 3-2 win on the road in Calgary, before returning home to fall 4-3 in a tightly contested series.
Coach's Take
UBC head coach Graham Thomas spoke to the importance of the Bell Let's Talk Initiative ahead of the annual Bell Let's Talk game on Friday.
"It's incredible to see these student-athletes step up in this area," said Thomas. "As a whole team we have examples of embracing it and being open and sharing things that we're dealing with so to go through it together and support each other, it's amazing to see."
Thomas knows his team needs to stick to their process in order for results to turn their way.
"With every week it becomes more challenging and it's hard not to get frustrated, but if we can channel that energy properly we are so close to breaking through. Some puck luck, some discipline, and a few little adjustments...and we're right there. We have to be more consistent and more timely and it will come. It can't not go our way at some point this season. We also just need a little better performances from some key players on this team and if all those things come together at once we could do something special at the end here and make a run. We're excited about it, I think the team's in a good place and we're believing we can do this and I think that's a huge piece."
