VANCOUVER – It was a complete game effort for the UBC Thunderbirds Saturday afternoon, full value for a 7-1 win over the Regina Cougars at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre to close out the 2023 portion of the Canada West season.
Scott Atkinson scored twice and added a pair of assists for his fourth four point game as a Thunderbird while
Cole Schwebius made 22 saves for his seventh win in as many starts this season.
The win secured the season series sweep of the Cougars (4-12-2) while also keeping the T-Birds (14-4) just one point behind the conference leading Calgary Dinos heading into 2024.
"We had a lot of jam to our game, I thought our legs were fantastic, we were energized," said UBC head coach
Sven Butenschon who picked up career win number 99 behind the bench. "The fact we played last night and the quick turnaround for a three o'clock puck drop, you couldn't tell, we were buzzing out there. It's nice to go into the Christmas break for sure, but at the same time I'd like to keep going the way things are looking on the ice."
Friday night the 'Birds didn't take over full control of the game until the third period but Saturday saw them come out firing early and often, dominating puck possession from the opening faceoff.
Jack Wismer got the ball rolling five minutes in with his fourth of the season, finishing off a tic-tac-toe play with
Scott Atkinson and
Chris Douglas that left Regina netminder Adam Evanoff helpless in the crease.
Less than three minutes later
Sam Huo doubled the lead on the power play with his ninth.
Sasha Mutala made a cross-ice feed to Huo who unleashed a powerful wrister, blocker side past Evanoff.
Mutala gave the 'Birds their first three-goal lead of the game, capitalizing on extended offensive zone time. With Regina unable to clear the puck from the slot, it was dug out by Mutala who roofed it past Evanoff for his sixth of the season.
The Cougars did manage to get on the board against the flow when Jakob Brook wristed in his fifth of the season at the 13:43 mark, the only puck to get by Schwebius all weekend.
Much like they dominated from the early moments of the first period, the T-Birds took all of 91 seconds to strike in the second as Atkinson put home his sixth of the year. Wismer took a neutral zone, cross-ice feed from Douglas, drove in on the left side and was denied by Evanoff's right pad. But before the Cougars goaltender could re-set, Atkinson deposited the puck into the open net, restoring UBC's three-goal advantage.
Exactly seven minutes later,
Cyle McNabb scored his third in as many games with a nearly identical shot to his Friday night tally, just under the cross bar off a feed from
Jake Lee who finished the game with his third consecutive two-point performance.
Douglas made it a 6-1 UBC lead just 31 seconds later with his ninth of the season, finishing from the slot with a low shot. Wismer drew in Evanoff as he skated in on the left wing side before dropping the puck back to Douglas in the slot.
Atkinson closed out the four goal third period deflecting the puck in at the 17:27 mark just seconds after a UBC power play expired.
"He's a huge part of our success and even if he's not putting up points he's doing all the things away from the puck and playing the complete, professional game we ask everyone to play, and he's the leader in that way," said Butenschon of Atkinson's big night. "But at the same time, he has the ability to score. Today it was great to see him get rewarded by putting some behind the goalie."
While the T-Birds outshot the Cougars 45-23, 15 of Regina's shots came in the third with Schwebius completing his busiest period by far to secure the win.
UBC's victory Saturday gives them three straight heading into the lengthy break which won't see them return to Canada West action until January 5 when they take on the Manitoba Bisons in Winnipeg.
The Cougars will kick off 2024 with a home-and-home against the Saskatchewan Huskies starting Saturday, January 6 in Saskatoon.
"We'll catch our breath for sure, focus on school, regeneration in the gym and in the back of our minds knowing that come January we got a chance to really go on a run there. We've had a lot of positives this first half and it would be a shame if we lost a bit of that mojo and got away from what we've been doing because it's been giving us such success. So we'll catch our breath, rest up, spend some time with family but man, we got a chance in January to really do some damage."
