VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds completed the season series sweep of the visiting Manitoba Bisons Saturday afternoon courtesy of a tight 3-2 win at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
The victory extends the T-Birds' win streak to five games to remain atop the Canada West standings as they held on against a Bisons squad that gave them a run for their money in the final period.
UBC (16-1-3) came out strong in Saturday's game, the fourth and final meeting of the season between the two squads.
Karine Sandilands scored her second goal of the season 3:01 into the first period off a pass from
Chanreet Bassi to open scoring.
Shortly following the opener, the Bisons (6-11-1) gifted UBC a power play and the home side would make no mistake.
Jacquelyn Fleming backhanded the puck into the net from in tight, her third of the season 12 seconds into the advantage to quickly double UBC's lead.
However, the visitors responded extremely well despite being down a pair of goals. On the shift following UBC's second goal, Manitoba's Molly Kunnas (who scored in Friday's meeting) would rush in on a 2-on-1, but her wrist shot was stopped by UBC goaltender Reece Hiddleston.
In the dying minutes of the first, it was Manitoba again with a golden look in front from Jena Barscello but again Hiddleston was equal to the task in goal, and the 'Birds would take a 2-0 lead into the room after 20.
"I thought we had a great start, but the last 10 minutes of the first period we stopped playing," said UBC head coach
Graham Thomas. "We have to learn from that."
The Bisons carried over their strong play from the first period into the second, acquiring three power plays in the middle frame and cashing in on a 5-on-3, four minutes into the period courtesy of Ashley Keller.
Manitoba kept the puck mostly inside the UBC zone to end the second as the 'Birds' offensive chances were few and far between as the game remained 2-1 going into the third.
UBC would come out strong to begin the final frame taking another two-goal lead thanks to veteran
Joelle Fiala who scored on a perfect cross seam pass from
Mia Bierd for her fifth of the season.
"It is nice when we are getting those goals and going into the tough areas," added Thomas. "Especially this time of the season, it's tough to score and we did well to find three today."
But, just like in the second period, the Bisons would cut UBC's lead to one thanks to Sadie Keller's first career Canada West goal as she tipped a Brenna Nicol point shot past Hiddleston.
Manitoba would pull the goalie late on, but the 'Birds would hold down the fort defensively to secure the win and remain one point ahead of Alberta for first in the conference.
The T-Birds head on the road for the first time in 2024 next weekend when they visit Edmonton to face the MacEwan Griffins and a chance to officially lock up a Canada West playoff berth.
