VANCOUVER - The UBC Women's hockey team capped off their second game of the weekend on Saturday afternoon at Father David Bauer Arena with a 7-0 win over the visiting MacEwan Griffins for their 8^th straight victory.
 
The first period started with a multitude of UBC shots and opportunities, most notably fourth-year 'Birds forward MacKenzie Kordic had a great early look as her wrist shot from a tight angle was well fought off by Griffins goaltender Brianna Sank.


 
"MacEwan played us very tight, their goaltender stood on her head and gave them every chance to be in the game. Credit to our team us we stuck to our game plan, generated that offence and made some great plays." Said UBC head coach Graham Thomas post game following his teams win.
 
Despite some excellent pressure from the home side, MacEwan were gifted a power play midway through the first, and had some great sustained offensive zone pressure. Reese Hiddleston turned aside all five shots she faced in the opening frame, including a couple good looks on the power play in her first start since February 12^th, 2022.
 
UBC would be rewarded for all their hard work late on in the first period, as Sophia Gaskell ripped a shot through traffic from the blueline to give her team the opening goal, her third of the season with 4:41 remaining in the opening frame.
 
The second stanza started just the like the first, lots of pressure for the T-Birds but Sank stood tall in the Griffins goal.
 
However, with six minutes to go in the second period it was Cassidy Rhodes firing UBC into a 2-0 lead after an offensive zone faceoff win by teammate Madisyn Wiebe, it was Rhodes fourth of the season. Rhodes would also factor into the scoring four minutes later with Wiebe once again playing provider, as she raced down the right wing into the MacEwan zone and fed Rhodes in front to convert her fifth of the young season, and second on the day.


 
The Thunderbirds would not be done scoring in the second period though, as third-year forward Grace Elliott fed Chanreet Bassi who made a beautiful move in tight on Sank to score her fourth of the season, and give UBC a 4-0 lead heading into the final frame. UBC were leading 35-9 in shots after 40 minutes, but MacEwan had a couple shifts of offensive zone time that they could be content with carry that momentum into the third.
 
The T-Birds would keep the offence rolling, as Karine Sandilands scored her first of the season 7:46 into the third period. With time winding down in the game, Bassi would get her second of the game on a great pass from Sierra LaPlante to make it 6-0.
 
Elliott and Bassi combined late on for the 7^th T-Birds goal after a loose puck in front found Elliott for her fifth of the season with 2:41 to go.
 
MacEwan would force Hiddleston to make a couple of saves late in the contest but she shut the door, securing her first career Canada West shutout.


 
"We have to keep focused on the task at hand, there is still lots of season left and we cannot get complacent, even after a great team win like this." Added Thomas.
 
UBC are back at home next Friday and Saturday to take on the Mount Royal University Cougars, in what will be another tough test for the 'Birds as they look to keep this extensive winning streak going.