VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds (15-1-1-2) started the new year in winning fashion, scoring four goals in the second period to secure a 5-1 win over the visiting University of Manitoba Bisons (6-10-1-0), a fourth straight win for the blue and gold to open up 2024 in style.
"It was a good test for us, we came out slow, a little sloppy, and (Manitoba) capitalized on it," said UBC head coach Graham Thomas. "But, I'm proud of our group for responding."
The game didn't start as planned for UBC as the Bisons tallied the game's first goal near the midway point of the first. The T-Birds got caught in transition and Aimee Patrick delivered a perfect breakaway pass to teammate Molly Kunnas who sniped her second goal of the season on a top-shelf effort over the shoulder of T-Birds goalie Elise Hugens.
UBC would tie the game up in the opening frame off of a seemingly unassuming Sophia Gaskell point shot which found it's way past Bisons goalie Meagan Relf but needed an extra nudge across the goal line from Mackenzie McCallum. McCallum's seventh goal of the season tied the game 1-1, a score that would stand until well into the second period.
As the second ranked powerplay in the Canada West, it's no surprise the T-Birds proved pivotal Friday night. Annalise Wong snapped her first career Canada West power play goal from the high slot, giving her squad a 2-1 lead and opening the floodgates.
"(Wong) played defence the whole last weekend in Regina, so she goes from playing D, which she hasn't played in years and now she's playing forward (again)," Thomas continued. "You could put her anywhere, penalty kill, power play. Very versatile, great attitude, great energy, she's one of a kind."
UBC pounced on the momentum of the go-ahead goal as they filled the net in the second period.
Joelle Fiala notched her fourth of the season, deflecting teammate
Jaylyn Morris' point shot over Relf's shoulder to extend the T-Birds' lead to 3-1.
Third-year Grace Elliott added to the UBC lead with her eighth goal of the season, tipping in a pass from Wong at 16:10 of the second period. Just 19 seconds later, Gaskell unloaded a rocket of a slapshot from the point for her fifth goal of the season, and her team's fifth goal of the game which would spell the end of the night for Relf as Kimberly Davidson took over the crease. Davidson stopped all 12 shots she faced in relief.
The T-Birds' four-goal scoring barrage proved to be the difference as neither team tallied a goal in the third period.
A determined Bisons team will now hope to avoid being swept in the season series against UBC for the second straight season. The final regular season matchup between the two is set for Saturday at 2:00 p.m. at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
