LANGLEY, B.C. – In a game that saw plenty of twists and turns, Ty Thorpe capped off a wild finish with the overtime winner, handing the UBC Thunderbirds a 6-5 victory over the host Trinity Western Spartans Saturday night at the Langley Events Centre.

Holding a 4-2 lead through two periods, the T-Birds (15-6-1) allowed three straight as the Spartans (3-17-2) took their first lead of the game on Matteo Lamoureux's second of the night with just over four minutes remaining. Just 48 seconds later, Conner McDonald tied it once again, forcing the game beyond 60 minutes.

Given a late power play opportunity, the 'Birds began the extra frame 4-on-3 for 40 seconds. But the Spartans penalty kill – which finished the night 5-for-5 with a shorthanded goal to boot – did its job. With 1:24 remaining, Thorpe called game in his former home building as the Vancouver Giant alumnus took a bank pass from Cyle McNabb and sniped a beauty top corner, popping the water bottle as the 'Birds celebrated their third straight win while sweeping the season series with the Spartans.



"That was probably the most impressive thing tonight, letting that game slip through your fingers but then having the confidence to come back," said UBC head coach, Sven Butenschon, after his team's first overtime win of the season. "A veteran guy like C Mac finding a shooting lane there, getting us that one point. It was a back-and-forth, see-saw battle and Thorpy kind of executed on a beautiful individual effort there to get us the extra point."

Despite being officially eliminated from post-season contention in Friday night's Winter Classic, the Spartans showed plenty of resilience, battling back to tie the game on three separate occasions.

Just 54 seconds into the third, Dane DeBois picked off a T-Birds pass at their own blue line before wristing in his second of the season to pull Trinity back within one.

TWU's strong night on special teams led to the hosts tying the game for the third time 10:03 into the third when Jonathan Krahn deflected a point shot from the slot on the power play for his eighth of the season.



With 4:26 on the clock, the Spartans took their first lead of the night with Lamoreux's second of the game, but McDonald's point shot through traffic once again levelled the score at five apiece, the defencemen scoring for the second straight game and fourth time this season pushing the game to OT.

"I think they're playing the right way," said Butenschon, giving the Spartans plenty of credit. "They're down a couple but they still were patient. They didn't cheat for offence and they waited for us to make a little soft play through the middle there and then boom, they grab it and they score. Then they wait for us to dive in on a forecheck situation, give up a 3-on-2 and execute off the rush. That's good hockey, that's winning hockey and it's good for them. I'm happy for them, it's good for the league to have more competition."

Carson Latimer opened scoring midway through the first with a beautiful top-shelf wrister, far side past Raphael Audet for the rookie T-Bird's seventh of the season.



The Spartans evened things up at the 15:13 mark with Lamoureux's first of the night and fourth of the season, just seconds after the T-Birds completed a penalty kill.

But before the period was out, UBC restored their lead with Jake Wright's 12^th of the season. Thorpe picked off an errant Spartans pass up the boards and quickly fed it to Wright who one-timed the puck from the slot.

The pesky Spartans once again got on even terms 5:14 into the second when Kade McMillen scored his second of the season, shorthanded, as TWU took advantage of a T-Birds offensive zone turnover.

While the 'Birds had much to bemoan about their middle period, they finished off the frame in fine form, scoring twice within a 2:11 span to stake out a 4-2 lead heading into the third.
 

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Wright protected the puck along the end boards and backhanded a centring feed to McNabb who went high, far side, past Audet for his fifth of the season and third in the last three games. Scott Atkinson then doubled the lead at 18:36 with his eighth, backhanding home a rebound off a Jack Wismer wraparound attempt.

While not the T-Birds' prettiest win of the season, it's a valuable two points which keeps UBC three back of the West Division leading Mount Royal Cougars now with six games remaining in the regular season.

"We just manufacture wins, find ways to win. Doesn't matter who's in the lineup, good teams find ways to win and good teams have different guys stepping up on different nights, so I think it's great team building right now."

The 'Birds head to Regina for their lone weekend series this season with the Cougars next Friday and Saturday, January 24 and 25 at the Co-Operators Centre. Both games will be available live on Canada West TV.