VANCOUVER – Following a tremendously successful first half of the season, the UBC Thunderbirds look to head into the upcoming holiday break on a high note as they host the Regina Cougars Friday and Saturday, December 1 and 2 at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
On the heels of a key bounce back performance last Saturday against the Calgary Dinos to end a three-game skid, the No. 5 ranked T-Birds (12-4) certainly appear to have found their legs again, which is bad news for a Cougars (4-10-2) program which has notched just two wins in their last ten games.
"Lots to like over the last weekend, we played six very solid periods," said UBC head coach
Sven Butenschon whose team enters this weekend just one point back of the conference leading Dinos. "Friday night could have gone our way as well if we had a bounce or two, so lots to be positive about. As a player you got two more games to get it dialed in, stay focussed, stay on path and then you got a month to relax and take your foot off the gas. So, I'm expecting us to play with a ton of energy this weekend, a ton of jam, a ton of physicality knowing all those things. And like I've always said, if we play like that, we're unstoppable."
The first five weeks of the Canada West season the T-Birds were nothing if not unstoppable, starting a perfect 10-0 for the first time in program history. A minor stumbling block saw the 'Birds drop four of five before Saturday's 4-1 victory in Calgary. While the mini slump saw UBC drift out of first, it's a potentially character testing period the team can be all the better for in the long run now they appear to be back to their normal selves.
"The league is so close, it's so competitive at the top that it's going to come down to one or two points," said Butenschon of how the standings will shake down come playoff time. "Just not getting any points against Saskatchewan is still kind of tough to swallow…You never question the character of the guys in this room, that's why they're here, that's why we wanted them here. And when you play at UBC, part of the job requirement is long road trips, tough travel, time changes, balancing exams and projects and all that. It's nothing new for the guys and honestly sometimes I think it brings the best out of us."
While Calgary holds the razor's edge of a lead over UBC at the top of the Canada West standings, only three points separates first through fifth.
Even after going through the gauntlet of Mount Royal, Saskatchewan, and Calgary in successive weekends, the T-Birds still hold claim to the conference's best power play (25.7%), penalty kill (86.5%) and goal differential (+31).
Second year forward
Sam Huo continues lead the way with his team best 22 points, on pace to finish the season with the highest point total by a T-Bird in decades. His linemates
Sasha Mutala and
Liam Kindree along with second year defenceman
Jake Lee also all find themselves top ten in league scoring.
Goals have been much harder to come by for the Cougars who head into Friday night's contest with a conference low 7.7 per cent power play while averaging 2.6 goals per game total. But the last time Regina met the T-Birds, UBC needed a shootout to complete a 5-4 comeback win – a game which should serve as a good reminder any team in this league can win on any given night.
"We have to make sure the cart stays on the track. I thought our Friday night in Regina was probably one of our best games execution wise this year and then on the Saturday we had to come back real late. That was not an easy game and our execution was pretty subpar. So, replicating the Friday night game this weekend is going to be the goal."
Puck drop Friday night at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre is set for 7:00 p.m. with Saturday's 2023 finale scheduled for 3:00 p.m.
Tickets for both games are available online now and both will also be streamed live on
Canada West TV.
