VANCOUVER – If you're a fan of high event hockey, there was no better place to be than the RINK Training Centre in Winnipeg Saturday afternoon as the UBC Thunderbirds earned the weekend sweep over the Manitoba Bisons with an 8-7 victory.
Winnipeg native Cyle McNabb completed his first career Canada West hat trick while Scott Atkinson had a four point game as the T-Birds power play converted on four of five opportunities to power UBC to their third win in four games to start the season.
"Looks like we have enough offence in our game to be able to bail us out in some situations," said UBC Head Coach Sven Butenschon whose team has scored five or more goals in three of their four conference games so far. "Obviously we don't want to rely on that and dig ourselves in holes and play a run and gun style of game. But the positive is we're having fun in the offensive zone, we're spending a lot of time down there, we're putting pucks behind goalies, but there's so much more to hockey than that."
Friday night's series opener saw the T-Birds (3-0-1) stake out an early lead but Saturday the tables were turned as the Bisons (0-2) went up 2-0 by the 7:14 mark after Tony Apetagon converted on the power play.
But another quick response by the 'Birds was in store, much as was the case Friday evening. Ethan McIndoe got UBC on the board with his third of the season at 11:31 and 94 seconds later McNabb scored his first of three on the afternoon off a cross-ice feed from Liam Kindree.
Chase Hartje put the Bisons back in front 3-2 with his second of the season but once again the T-Birds answered quickly with McNabb's second of the game just 14 seconds later. The second year UBC forward took a perfectly placed stretch feed from Conner McDonald and sniped past Brett Murphy's glove to make it a 3-3 game still with more than three minutes to play.
Sure enough, before the period was out Atkinson scored his second of the season on the power play to give UBC their first lead. From the half boards, Sasha Mutala fed the puck to Atkinson at the side of the crease who then spun, getting it to his forehand before snapping it home.
Early in the second, McNabb completed the hat trick as he wristed the puck from the slot on another T-Birds power play, giving UBC their first multi-goal lead of the afternoon. The fifth goal on 14 shots chased Murphy from the Bisons crease as Simon Harkness entered in relief.
Earning another power play chance of the game midway through the second, the 'Birds converted for the third time with Atkinson's second of the game, again from a Mutala pass to give UBC a 6-3 lead.
But before the period was out, the Bisons were back on even terms with three goals in a four minute span from Apetagon, Brett Davis, and Noah Basarab.
UBC's red hot power play put the T-Birds in front for good early in the third when Lee blasted a point shot through Harkness for his third goal of the weekend and fourth of the season.
Captain Chris Douglas hit the empty net with 64 seconds remaining with his first of the season in what turned out to be the game winner as Colton Veloso got one back for Manitoba with just three seconds left on the clock.
Finishing the game 4/5 on the power play, the T-Birds were virtually unstoppable on the man advantage after failing to convert Friday night.
Cole Schwebius picked up his first Canada West win in goal making 24 saves as the T-Birds outshot the Bisons 40-31.
But for all the offence on display, tightening up in the defensive zone will certainly be a focus for UBC going forward.
"Too many odd man rushes against today," Butenschon said. "Manitoba in that first ten minutes, they could have been up more than two on us, they looked really good and were all over us. I think we have to recognize that teams are going to do that and we have to defend and have to be able to play maybe a more boring, patient style against a team like that."
Guaranteed to head into Thanksgiving Monday with at least a share of second place in the Canada West standings, the T-Birds return home to face the Saskatchewan Huskies next Friday and Saturday in what could be an early season battle for top spot in the conference.
Puck drop Friday, October 14 is 7:00 p.m. PT at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. Tickets are available now.
