Picking up a pair of much-needed wins last weekend, the UBC Thunderbirds face perhaps their biggest test of the season to date with the undefeated Alberta Golden Bears coming to town for a pair of Canada West heavyweight battles beginning Friday, October 25 at Father Bauer Arena.
It's the first regular season visit to Vancouver for the Bears (6-0) since the 2023-24 season opening series and their first trip to take on the 'Birds since UBC (2-3-1) defeated Alberta in last year's conference semifinal.
Not that the Bears need any additional fuel after what's been a red hot start to their season, but they'll certainly be looking for some redemption against the team which ended their previous playoff aspirations.
With the new Canada West divisional format, this weekend's series against the No. 3 ranked Bears will be their only two meetings this regular season in a rivalry that's seen the two programs face each other in each of the last four playoffs.
"It seems to be more on the table here because you only get two shots at them and who knows, you could meet them in playoffs somewhere," said UBC head coach
Sven Butenschon of the added importance the four points up for grabs this weekend hold. "The points are huge for us just with the way the season's started so, we need to get points. We're still figuring out who we are. At the same time whenever the Golden Bears come into town or you go up to the Clare Drake to play them in their rink, it's different. They're been such an amazing program for years and years and it's such a good litmus test to see where your team is at."
After a struggle out of the gate that saw UBC post an 0-3-1 start to the season, there's certainly a renewed sense of confidence for the defending Canada West champions after last weekend's home-and-home sweep over the Spartans. 15 different skaters found the scoresheet against TWU with nine different goal scorers.
"We're getting there. Definitely confidence is a little bit higher this week, the vibe is a little more positive," Butenschon added. "Winning is always a heavy thing in sports so in that regard it's good. We've still got a lot more work to do and what I liked about the games against Trinity were they were two different kind of games. The first one was a bit more wide open, less structure, plays off the rush, a little more skill. Then the second game was a physical battle and they played really gritty and hard and they forced us to play the same way. I think we're taking a lot out of that second game."
That grit factor will likely be intensified this weekend given both games against the Golden Bears will be played on Father Bauer's smaller, more intimate confines.
"I think you're going back to basics a little more up there. You're going to play a little more simple; things happen fast, you don't have time to get yourself into trouble or defer down to your second or third option. You get that puck, you got to move it, you got to make your play real quick and I think that's exactly what we need."
Between UBC's speed up front and the skill found throughout both lineups, this weekend's series promises to be a strong showcase for Canada West hockey. Add in Alberta's perfect start to the year – including a pair of 5-2 home ice wins over Saskatchewan last weekend – from a pure hockey fan perspective, there's plenty to be excited about. And nothing would excite the T-Birds' locker room more than putting the first dent in the Bears' season, while also getting above .500 for the first time.
Puck drop Friday at Father Bauer Arena is set for 7:00 p.m. with Saturday's final regular season meeting with Alberta going at 3:00 p.m.
Tickets to see the rare battles between two championship calibre combatants are available now and both games will be streamed live on
Canada West TV.
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