VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds head into 2023 winners of three of their last four after a 3-2 overtime victory over the Regina Cougars Saturday night.
Holding a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes, the T-Birds were subjected to a heavy Cougars press in the final frame from a desperate Regina squad looking to clamber back into the Canada West playoff race. The hosts managed to get rewarded for a strong period with the tying goal from Tyler Adams with seven minutes remaining, eventually forcing overtime.
After a Cougar penalty early in extra time, it took the T-Birds all of 33 seconds on the four-on-three to secure the weekend sweep with Jake Lee's 11th of the season.
"We had a great effort last night and we needed to follow it up but we also knew they were going to be a lot better," said UBC head coach Sven Butenschon. "They came out guns a blazing in the first and we kind of weathered the storm and as the game wore on we got better. Even in the third period when they made their push I still thought we defended really well and we were structurally sound."
Less than 24 hours after being on the wrong end of a 6-1 drubbing by the T-Birds, Regina indeed did come out with a collective burr in their saddle and opened scoring just 4:19 into the first. Matt Culling wristed the puck from the left wing circle and got it over Cole Schwebius' left shoulder for his sixth of the season.
The Cougars held onto the one-goal lead until the four minute mark of the second when Scott Atkinson tied things up with his seventh of the season and third of the weekend. Regina goaltender Adam Evanoff was able to make an initial save but the Cougars were unable to clear the zone leading to several more chances. While a couple T-Bird shots went wide of the goal, Atkinson popped home a loose puck off a Jake Lee rebound chance off the end boards.
Before the period was out UBC had taken their first lead of the game when Ethan McIndoe scored his sixth of the season on the power play. Off a Sam Huo faceoff win, Jack Wismer got the puck over to McIndoe who backhanded it past Evanoff for the T-Birds' third goal of the weekend on the man advantage.
With seven-and-a-half remaining in the third period, Adams tied the game 2-2. The Cougars continued to press but solid goaltending from Schwebius and good defensive zone play all around by the T-Birds forced the game beyond regulation.
Just 64 seconds into overtime, Regina forward Riley Krane was called for roughing, giving the T-Birds the coveted four-on-three power play where Lee scored his second of the weekend and team-leading 11th of the season to close out the series sweep for UBC.
"It's an emotional game and we kind of live and die on your last performance so it's great to finish the first half with a win because the guys have worked so hard and put so much into the past three months," added Butenschon. "It's such a grind and we haven't had a bye week in a while and to end it like that going into the break is I think really great mentally."
Finishing the game with a goal and assist to complete a five-point weekend, Atkinson's 16 points on the season has already eclipsed last year's rookie season total with four fewer games played.
"He's a leader. He eats a lot of minutes, he plays in all situations. We ask a lot from him defensively, on the penalty kill as well. Sometimes as a coach you worry if that takes away from his offence but this weekend it was great to see him get rewarded because he's been around the net, he's been getting chances and quite frankly he should have a few more goals but he's been a little bit snake-bitten, so real happy for him."
The T-Birds are now off of Canada West action until January 13 thanks to a conference bye the first week of the New Year. The blue and gold begin 2023 on the road in Saskatoon for a weekend series against the Huskies who currently sit just two points ahead of UBC for the fourth and final home playoff berth.
