Jacquelyn Fleming played hero for the hosts, scoring the overtime winner to lift the UBC Thunderbirds past the Trinity Western Spartans 4-3 in their annual Winter Classic contest in front of a lively crowd at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre on Friday evening. The comeback victory completes the home-and-home series sweep vs TWU and marks the T-Birdss eighth win in a row, improving to 19-2 on the Canada West campaign while the Spartans drop to 10-12.
 
"I think we woke up and got a little desperate, we got a little hungry, and when we play desperate and hungry, we can play with anybody", said Head Coach Graham Thomas. "But yeah, it was a weird, strange game."
 

 WHKY | Jacquelyn Fleming played OT hero as @UBCWHKY took down the Spartans in the Winter Classic to extend the T-Birds' win streak to eight games pic.twitter.com/N9NnxgsL1Y

— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) January 18, 2025

The T-Birds went right to work in this one, applying pressure from puck drop and testing Spartans netminder, Kate Fawcett early and often.  Shortly after the halfway mark of the opening frame, a tripping penalty was called against UBC. The Spartans couldn't find the back of the net during the advantage but seemed to gain momentum from the time with an extra attacker. The next few minutes, the Spartans were buzzing, until they received a penalty of their own. What seemed like an opportune time to turn the tides back in UBC's favour didn't go as planned. The Spartans managed to dump the puck down into the Thunderbird zone but stayed with it on the forecheck. TWU's Brooke Dorash regained possession near the goal line and, from beneath the faceoff dot, turned and fired one home into the slimmest of openings below the crossbar, for the 1-0 lead. The first time UBC has trailed in a game since the University of Calgary Dinos opened the scoring in the T-Birds' 2-1 overtime loss on November 16, 2024.
 
UBC trailed going into the first intermission however, just 16 seconds into the second period, they replied. As the 'Birds entered the zone, defender Jaylyn Morris quickly fired a shot on net only for teammate MacKenzie Kordic to be waiting in front and tap home the rebound to even the game at one apiece.


 
"The motivation came from the room in between periods. We talked a little bit on some tactical things, but I think the message came from the room that we need to be better and we have to respond," reflected Thomas. "We had to come out flying here, and that's exactly what they did. So, credit to the players for that."
 
The next 15 minutes were even keeled, with both sides creating quality chances. Yet, it was an awkward bounce off the glass that would put the Spartans back in front. With five minutes to go, a dump-in led to UBC goalie Elise Hugens leaving her crease to settle the puck down, only for it to ricochet off the glass and land on a platter out front, where Jordyn Matthews wired it into the wide-open cage. The 'Birds battled but couldn't find another goal in the second, ending the period behind 2-1.


 
Going into the third, the 'Birds regained form and began controlling the game. Nearly five minutes into the frame, the pressure paid off — in a not-so-conventional way. UBC forward Jacquelyn Flemming battled behind the net, taking the puck away from the defender against the boards and immediately turned and fired on goal, banking it off Fawcett's leg and in for the game-tying score at 2-2.
 

WHKY | Jacquelyn Fleming played OT hero as @UBCWHKY took down the Spartans in the Winter Classic to extend the T-Birds' win streak to eight games pic.twitter.com/N9NnxgsL1Y

— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) January 18, 2025

Both teams continued to create chances, but the 'Birds maintained a hold on the game's momentum until, with under five minutes remaining, UBC was called for a penalty. The Spartans were able to set up offensively and, on a failed clearing attempt by UBC, Spartans defender Ella Boon flung it on net where it squeaked across the goal line with just six seconds remaining on the powerplay, and under three minutes in the game. 3-2 Spartans.


 
As hope seemed to slip away for the Thunderbirds, they pushed the puck into the offensive corner with a minute and a half to go. From a sharp angle, Chanreet Bassi threw it on net where the U Sports leader in points and goals, Grace Elliott was battling to just get enough of the puck to deflect it into the goal to tie the proceedings and force overtime.
 
The three-on-three overtime period began with high energy from both teams. In the offensive zone, UBC's Flemming was making an impact. Stopping on a dime to blow past her defender before throwing it on net, only to be met by the brick wall known as TWU's Fawcett. The rebound careened towards centre ice where the Spartans picked it up and went on the 2-on-1 the other way, only for UBC's Hugens to make a timely save of her own. The overtime went back-and-fourth until the final 30 seconds, where Flemming continued to have an impact. This time, flying down the side, into the zone, and snapped one on net that found space under the arm of Fawcett, sealing the 4-3 win and extending the T-Bird winning streak to eight straight.


 
"[Flemming]'s fun to watch. When she's got the hands going, and she's flying around the ice, we try to get her out there as much as possible. She was hungry tonight. I don't know what she had for lunch," chuckled Thomas. "But she had some fuel, rocket fuel maybe, but she was flying."
 
Top performers from the Winter Classic include UBC's Jacquelyn Fleming, who found the back of the net twice, while teammate Annalise Wong tallied two assists in the win. TWU's Kate Fawcett stopped 33 of 37 shots faced on the night. 
 
The Thunderbirds will return to Doug Mitchell arena next weekend as they welcome the University of Regina Cougars for a two-game series beginning on January 24. Puck drop for the opening game is set for 7:00 p.m. PT.