VANCOUVER – Following a successful regular season campaign, the UBC Thunderbirds host the Alberta Pandas this weekend for a best of three Canada West Semifinal series at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. The playoff battle begins on Friday, March 4
th as game one will see puck-drop at 3:00 p.m. (PT).
"It's really exciting, we haven't hosted semifinals in four years," said UBC head coach
Graham Thomas. "The bye-week was nice because school got a little more intense for the players, so they had more time to focus. We're now well rested, prepared, and excited for this weekend."
With a record of 14-6-0 record, UBC finished in second place which earned them the opportunity to host a semifinal playoff series. They last split a home matchup against the Regina Cougars on February 18
th and 19
th. The spirited Cougars stole the first game with a 2-1 win to clinch a spot in the playoffs. The 'Birds re-grouped the following day with an important 6-1 victory to earn the program a first-round playoff bye.
Alberta finished their regular season in third place behind a 13-5-2 record; their 28 points tied the T-Birds in the standings, but were bested due to a head-to-head tiebreaker that took place in a mid-November meeting on the Point Grey campus. The 'Birds defeated the visiting Pandas 3-1 on Friday, November 19
th and 4-0 the next day.
Rylind MacKinnon tallied two goals over the weekend while her blue-line teammate
Hannah Koroll added three assists.
"They're extremely well coached, structured, skilled, and fast," explained Thomas. "They're the top defensive team in the league, so we know what to expect. We're excited to play, we've had a lot of good battles against them in years past."
The Pandas scoring flows through Madison Willan, who's produced eight goals alongside 13 assists. The second year forward found her groove on a four-game stretch in early February as she scored five goals along with three assists. Third year goaltender Hally Oswald holds an 8-2-2 record while allowing just 14 goals in 12 games.
"I know we're built for the playoffs," added Thomas in reference to the depth of his team. "We're deep, we can roll all four lines and everyone can play. If somebody's out, another player always steps up. We're physical, strong, skilled, and offensive. We've come together this season and are motivated by our great leadership."
UBC's high-scoring attack led the Canada West with 72 goals this season. Many generated from the aggressive pair of
Chanreet Bassi and MacKinnon, who led the league in points with 22 and 21 respectively. The 'Birds don't just rely on a few standout players, their depth has driven nine different players to surpass the double-digit point mark this season. The competitive roster brings out the best in the T-Birds, which is led on the backend by
Elise Hugens. She has been a constant rock for UBC, as she's paired her 11-4 record with five shutouts, tied for the most in the Canada West.
"Home ice advantage means a lot," added Thomas. "We enjoy the normal routine; it gives us confidence. We like playing in the Doug, the fans bring the energy. It's a ton of fun playing at home, especially this year."
The Canada West Semifinals are a best-of-three game series, where all games will be played at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. Game two will take place on Saturday, March 5
th at 3:00 p.m. (PT) and if needed, game three will be on Sunday, March 6
th at 3:00 p.m. (PT).
Tickets to Thunderbirds home games are free this year, but you must
register in advance here.
The series will also be streamed live on
Canada West TV presented by Co-op
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