VANCOUVER –
Sam Huo scored a natural hat trick to lead the UBC Thunderbirds to a 4-2 game two win over the Alberta Golden Bears to push their Canada West semifinal series to a third and deciding game Sunday evening.
Trailing 1-0 after a dominant first period, the T-Birds came back to tie the game twice before taking control in the third period and looking more like themselves as the game progressed.
"Pace of play, speed, relentless four lines coming at you. That's what you saw and if you want to do anything in this league that's what we need to do every night," said UBC head coach
Sven Butenschon. "Whether we're up 4-2 or down 2-0, you have to have that mindset. We talk about being emotionally mature and stable, even keel, all those clichés you hear about in playoff hockey. We're really focussing on that because it's easy to let your mind wander during these moments and you just have to stay mentally tough and keep the mind on the task at hand."
The first period was dominated by the T-Birds and yet the hosts found themselves down a goal as Adam Hall scored his first of the playoffs at the 14:50 mark to give the Bears the 1-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Outshooting Alberta by a 13-4 margin and outchancing them by a similar if not greater margin, a late period power play saw UBC hit two posts with another shot glancing off Ethan Kruger and just trickling wide.
Scott Atkinson got the 'Birds level 6:33 into the second on a UBC 5-on-3, popping home a rebound off a
Chris Douglas shot.
The Bears restored their lead just under five minutes with Justin Hall's third of the playoffs after he was sprung on a partial breakaway with a long, up-ice pass from Aidan de la Gorgendiere.
Huo's first of the night tied the game 2-2 late in the period, UBC's second power play tally, directing a
Sasha Mutala pass past Ethan Kruger.
The game winner came just 33 seconds into a dominant final period for the 'Birds when Huo pounced on a loose puck in the slot just moments after
Tian Rask rang a shot off the post.
Huo bookended the period completing his second hat trick of the year and first of his Canada West post-season career with just 35 seconds remaining. Mutala earned the primary assist on all three of Huo's goals while Rask's two helpers made for an exceptional 8 point night from a line that was kept quiet in game one.
"You could see it coming," said Butenschon of his most prolific unit. "They're such competitors, they care so much and it was just nice to see them play a complete game and then add the offence on top."
If Sunday's game three is anything like Saturday night's affair, fans at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre are in for a treat as the two Canada West powerhouses go the distance in a playoff series for the third time in the last four seasons.
"You can feel the tension and the intensity and it was just a real work-like attitude throughout the group. We just wanted to work. We just wanted to get out there and work our butts off and let the chips fall. That's a pretty good mindset and we're going to need that mindset tomorrow."
Puck drop for game three – and a matchup with the defending conference champion Calgary Dinos on the line – is set for 7:00 p.m. PT.
Tickets are available now and the game will be streamed live on
Canada West TV.
