The UBC Thunderbirds are in unfamiliar territory as they begin the Canada West playoffs Friday, February 14^th against the Saskatchewan Huskies.

It's the eighth straight year the T-Birds have appeared in the post-season, but the first time during that stretch they begin playoffs on the road as their best-of-three Canada West quarter-final takes place at Merlis Belsher Arena in Saskatoon.

Entering the post-season as the sixth seed, the T-Birds are no doubt the underdogs as they face the third seed Huskies who finished 18 points ahead of UBC in the regular season standings.



But the T-Birds can certainly head to northern Saskatchewan with some confidence, having won their last three games in Saskatoon, including both contests this season by a combined 5-2 margin.

The 'Birds and Huskies last met in the playoffs two years ago when UBC was swept on the road in the conference semifinal. The two met the previous year, 2016-17, in the quarter-finals where UBC dispatched the Huskies in three games before going on to claim the Canada West championship.

Puck drop for game one of the quarter-final series is set for 5:00 p.m. PT Friday at Merlis Belsher Place. Game two goes Saturday, also at 5:00 p.m. while game three, if necessary, is scheduled for Sunday at 5:00 p.m. All games are available on Canada West TV.
 

Last Action

Having already clinched a playoff berth, the T-Birds dropped both games against Mount Royal in Calgary last weekend. The results saw UBC fall to the sixth and final playoff berth while MRU captured the final home spot.


The Huskies swept their final series of the regular season with an overtime and shootout win over Regina. Saskatchewan enters the playoffs as one of the hottest teams in the conference with just one regulation loss in their final ten games.
 

Players to Watch

Hannah Clayton-Carroll (#22, F) – Finishing the season as the team's leading scorer for the second straight year, the fifth-year forward put up a career high 18 points, including seven points in her last seven games.



Hannah Koroll (#27, D) – With new career highs in goals (4) and points (11), Koroll led all Thunderbird defencemen in scoring while finishing third in team point production.
 

Coach's Take

The Thunderbirds didn't take the easy road into the playoffs this season, but the added stress and challenges could end up paying off according to the team's bench boss.

"We don't always get tested like that in the regular season, for this year, that will definitely work in our favour," said UBC head coach Graham Thomas who has advanced to the semifinals in each of his previous seven seasons with the T-Birds. "We should be able to handle those moments and expect what's coming."



The 'Birds are embracing the role of underdogs, but they also know the post-season is a fresh start for all.

"It's a clean slate, everyone's excited about it," added Thomas. "We know it's going to be a hard road and we all just need to be ready to give our best and play through it and start to build momentum. Our biggest challenge this year has been consistency. We all need to bring our best at the same time. We can't be afraid to fail, we got nothing to lose."