VANCOUVER – Sitting just two points back of the Canada West lead heading into the final weekend series of 2021, the UBC Thunderbirds are set to host their crosstown rival Trinity Western Spartans Friday and Saturday, December 3rd and 4th, at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
Winners of three of their last four games and five of their last seven, the T-Birds (7-3) are looking to head into a lengthy holiday and exam break with a potential share of first while the Spartans (2-8) currently sit last in the nine team conference.
Despite the disparity between the two teams, the 'Birds are certainly not taking anything for granted, especially since their first meeting of the season back in mid-October saw UBC eke out a 3-1 win over the newest entrants to the Canada West.
"With a rivalry all kinds of things can happen," said UBC Head Coach
Graham Thomas whose team heads into this weekend ranked ninth in the latest U SPORTS top ten. "We definitely can't take this team lightly so we just have to make sure we come prepared and focussed for what they do, but also just play our game and stick to the process there."
That T-Birds process has been working well through the first half of the shortened 2021-22 season, especially when it comes to special teams. UBC boasts a power play clicking at 25.6 percent, just behind the conference leading Mount Royal Cougars, while the T-Birds' penalty kill has an impressive 90.5 percent success rate.
"We set a goal as a team to have certain percentages for success and we're hitting those markers right now," said Thomas. "But as coaches we're never complacent or happy. As well as we've been doing, we believe we can do more and be more consistent on our power play, so there's still room to grow."
A big part of any successful penalty kill is goaltending, and that's another department the T-Birds have excelled in thus far, thanks in large part to the stellar play of rookie netminder Elise Hugens.
The Sherwood Park, Alberta native leads the conference in both save percentage (.954) and goals against average (0.86) while putting up a 6-1 record with a Canada West best four shutouts.
"The biggest thing about Elise is she's just having fun and you can see it on her. But she's also a competitor, she works extremely hard and loves to battle and push herself and her teammates so it's a good combination."
The last time the T-Birds and Spartans met, it wasn't a pretty outcome for the visitors from Langley who suffered an 8-0 loss in what was Hugens' first career victory. But the Spartans have shown strong improvement in recent weeks, posting victories over both Regina and Saskatchewan.
Friday's game at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre is a special 12:00 p.m. PT start to allow for local schools to attend and get a taste of what Canada West women's hockey has to offer.
Saturday's rematch and the final game of the 2021 portion of the season is set for 3:00 p.m. PT. Tickets are available for both but must be reserved in advance. Both games will also be streamed live on Canada West TV.
