LANGLEY, B.C. – The UBC Thunderbirds extended their season-long points streak to eight games while also earning a sixth straight win with a 4-1 victory Saturday night over the host Trinity Western Spartans at the Langley Events Centre.
Madisyn Wiebe scored the eventual game winner late in the opening period, her fifth of the season, while Canada West leading scorer Mackenzie Kordic had a trio of assists as the T-Birds handed the Spartans their second straight loss, sweeping the weekend home-and-home series.
"It was a tight game defensively but a great character win to find a way to close out a solid team who battled us hard right to the end," said UBC head coach Graham Thomas. "Having said that, we need to tighten up some defensive areas of our game moving forward."
Cassidy Rhodes opened scoring midway through the first with her second of the season.
Wiebe doubled the T-Birds' lead at the 17:50 mark with Rhodes and Kordic picking up the helpers.
But before the period was out, the Spartans cut UBC's lead in half, with Kara Yackel scoring for the second time in as many games, on the power play.
The Spartans had a tremendous opportunity to find the equalizer late in the second when Makenzie McCallum was called for a double minor at the 16:42 mark. But despite closing out the period on the power play, TWU was unable to close the gap.
Still down a goal into the final minute of the third, the Spartans put goaltender Kate Fawcett on the bench for the extra attacker.
With 53 seconds remaining, MacKinnon hit the empty net for her fifth of the season, restoring UBC's two-goal lead and sealing their league leading seventh win of the season.
Makenzie McCallum put the icing on the cake just 22 seconds later with her seventh.
Kayla McDougall earned her second win of the season in net.
The T-Birds are back home next weekend to host the MacEwan Griffins Friday and Saturday, October 27 and 28 at Father David Bauer Arena. Tickets are available online now.
