VANCOUVER – It was a 'banner night' indeed for the UBC Thunderbirds (2-1). Friday night at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre, the 2022 Canada West champion Thunderbirds kicked off the home portion of their 2022-23 regular season schedule in fine fashion. Rookie forward
Cassidy Rhodes notched her first career Canada West hat-trick,
Ireland Perrott chimed in with a goal and two assists and 11 different 'Birds found the score sheet in a 6-1 victory over the University of Manitoba Bisons (0-1). The lone Manitoba goal came from Hanna Bailey early in the first period.
Prior to puck drop, the UBC Thunderbirds raised their 2022 Canada West championship banner to the rafters of the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. An emotional moment, no doubt, for the storied Thunderbirds program that is looking forward to the challenge of repeating that championship in 2023.
"It was emotional just knowing all of the hard work that went into last season," said head coach
Graham Thomas. "It was a great way for us to honour our alumni, while also being able to start a new journey with this year's group."
It was the visiting Bisons though who drew first blood on the night. 1:59 into the game on a Manitoba power play, Hanna Bailey's seeing-eye shot from the right-wing point switched directions and snuck home. The lone helper on the play was credited to Sarah Dennehy and came on Manitoba's first shot of the game.
Thomas added, "When you get scored on first it's a tough way to start, but we were resilient. We bounced back strongly and showed a lot of resolve."
By the 6:15 mark of the first, UBC held a 6-1 edge in shots, and established a fast, positionally-strong forecheck and had lots of offensive zone time with all five skaters involved positively.
On their 10
th shot of the period, UBC was eventually rewarded when second-year forward
Mia Bierd settled a bouncing puck in the slot area and shovelled a low shot past Kimberley Davidson. Bierd's second of the young season was set up by
Mya Healey and
Hannah Koroll.
Both teams treaded chances in the back-half of the first. UBC's
Joelle Fiala was turned away at the 13-minute mark on a point-blank backhand attempt. Then on a late Manitoba power play, Rachel Gottfried dinged a point shot off the goal post which kept the game tied.
The score was 1-1 after 20 minutes with UBC holding a 17-10 edge in shots, but Manitoba held a 3-1 lead in power play chances.
1:13 into the second period, in the final seconds of UBC's first power play,
Ireland Perrott notched her third goal in as many games off a tip-in.
Sierra LaPlante one-timed a
Chanreet Bassi feed from the top of the left-wing circle towards the goal, and Perrott was in perfect position in front of the Manitoba goal for the low deflection.
UBC extended the lead to 3-1 at 11:04 off an odd-numbered rush. Rookie
Cassidy Rhodes took a feed from Analise Wong, skated swiftly down the right wing and perfectly placed a shot inside the far post for her second goal of the young season. The second assist on the sequence was awarded to
Ashton Thorpe.
Territorially, it was another strong period for the blue and gold. They outshot Manitoba 20-3 in the middle frame, and created offense in all situations. The best chance of the second that did not result in a goal for UBC came off a shorthanded rush from
Annalise Wong in the back-half of the second period.
Manitoba applied some decent pressure in the UBC zone in the final minute of play, but skated into the tunnel trailing by two goals after 40 minutes.
A strong two-way game from
Joelle Fiala was rewarded early in the third period at 4:17 when she converted on her first goal of the season off a net-front one-timer.
Chanreet Bassi pocketed her second assist on the night, while
Grace Elliott also factored in on the play.
UBC's tenacious efforts in the offensive zone yielded a pair of power play chances near the mid-way point of the third, and the blue and gold would find pay dirt twice more courtesy of
Cassidy Rhodes.
Rhodes' second of the night came off a shot from the slot from a soft spot in defensive coverage at 11:03.
Then a minute and 27 seconds later, Rhodes pounced on a net-front rebound off an
Ireland Perrott shot to bag her third of the night, her fourth of the season, and her first career Canada West hat-trick.
"It hasn't really sunken in yet," reflected Rhodes after the game. "I definitely know that I'm going to look back on this game in a couple of years and think that this was a really special game."
When asked to reflect on Rhodes' three-goal effort,
Graham Thomas couldn't help but beam when he spoke about the Androssan, AB's early impact on the 2022-23 T-Birds. He reflected, "She was right around the puck all night It's good for her to feel that confidence and she joins a short list of alumni who have had hat-tricks. I can think of a couple but there haven't been too many. It's amazing for her to pot three as a rookie."
UBC out shot Manitoba 48-18 on Friday and finished the night three-for-seven on the power play. Manitoba responded with a one-for-five effort on the man advantage.
These two foes will meet again tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 p.m. to wrap up their weekend double-header.
