VANCOUVER – The U SPORTS No. 6-ranked UBC Thunderbirds (1-3) are hosting the No.7-ranked Calgary Dinos (2-2-2) at Wright Field this weekend for the Birds' last two homes games of the year. The Saturday and Sunday matches are both scheduled for 11:00 a.m. (PT).
The T-Birds are currently last in a tight three-team Canada West, but would pass the Dinos for second and sit just half a game behind first place Victoria if they are able to sweep the weekend series.
"We've been making steady improvements every week since we started our preseason," commented UBC head coach Richard Hildreth. "I've been really pleased with the improvements in our intensity and defensive organization. It's really exciting that we still have lots of room for growth and development."
UBC visited Calgary earlier this year, initially winning 1-0 (4-3) in a shootout and then 1-0 in regulation. However, both scores have officially been changed to 3-0 Dinos wins due to an ineligible player participating.
"Calgary is really difficult to play against," reflected Hildreth. "They are a tough and physical team who battle for everything. They also have a unique style of play that can be tricky to prepare for. It will be important for us to maintain our composure during periods of high pressure. We also need to be more clinical with our scoring opportunities."
Despite the Canada West title still being well within reach for all three teams, the regular season is quickly draw to a close. The T-Birds take on the four-time defending conference and U SPORTS champion Vikes in Victoria next weekend in a back to back battle that may well see the blue and gold have a chance to snap their rivals' streak and win Canada West for the first time since 2017.
"We are focused on developing our speed of play and our defensive intensity," concluded Hildreth. "We've shown flashes of really nice hockey. We just need to continue developing our consistency with these aspects."
With this weekend's matches representing the final home games of the year, the team will also be honouring its seniors who are playing at Wright Field for the final time.
The U SPORTS National Championships are set for November 3-5, to be hosted somewhere in Ontario by the eventual OUA Champion.
