REGINA – For the second straight game, the UBC Thunderbirds were forced to battle back late and force extra time, but once again the defending Canada West champions found a way to get the two points, earning a 3-2 shootout win over the Regina Cougars Friday night at the Co-operators Centre.

Trailing 2-1 well into the third period, Ty Thorpe evened things up with just under five minutes remaining, another clutch goal for the second-year T-Bird after scoring the overtime winner last Saturday in Langley.

The 'Birds dominated overtime, outshooting the Cougars 10-0, but Regina goaltender Adam Evanoff kept up his spectacular play in goal, making 41 saves through 65 minutes.



Cole Schwebius was perfect in the shootout, stopping all three Regina shooters while UBC's first two attempts were also unsuccessful, putting the potential game winner on Jake Lee's stick. The final shooter, Lee slowly made his way in on goal and wristed the puck in, blocker side, to secure the win.

"You have the playoff emotions, the playoff nerves when you're down 2-1 in the third period and your power play's got to step up, where your goalie's got to make a huge save just to keep us in it," said UBC head coach, Sven Butenschon, who witnessed yet another gutsy comeback effort. "I've had the same feeling now I guess for all six games since we've been back after Christmas and I think in the long run it'll just continue to build character and get us more tested for the playoffs."

Despite outshooting the Cougars (3-17-1) by a 42-21 margin, goals were incredibly hard to come by on a night where Evanoff was close to unbeatable.



"Our forwards would come off the ice just looking at the stars like 'what do we gotta do here to beat this guy,'" Butenschon chuckled. "But in saying that, I don't think our execution with those little skilled details have been there the last few weeks. I notice it in practice, I notice it in games; we have to be able to find our skill, our hands. We play just an intense, physical, grinding, checking type game, but you still need to score and you still need to make plays under pressure and we're not there yet."

Lee, Sasha Mutala and Sam Huo dressed for their first game back with the T-Birds (16-6-1) since early December having flown into Regina from Italy Thursday where they were all key components in Canada's gold medal win at the FISU World Winter Games.

Based on their efforts Friday night, no one would have known the grueling travel the trio experienced with Mutala opening scoring late in the first. Huo won a puck battle in the corner and centred to Mutala who ripped his eighth of the season from the slot at the 14:30 mark.



After killing off UBC's second power play of the game midway through the second, the Cougars managed to even the score with a Kade Runke wraparound. It was unclear for a couple moments whether the puck crossed the goal line or not. Regina celebrated as if they had scored and after an officials' conference, it was determined Runke had indeed notched his second of the season.

4:27 into the third, the Cougars took the lead for the first time on a Blake Heward point shot that got through traffic for the defenceman's fourth.

The Cougars had visions of snapping their four-game losing streak and it looked as if Evanoff might just give them that opportunity, but Thorpe came through in the clutch for the 'Birds to tie the game when Cyle McNabb found his fellow Manitoban on the back door to force the game beyond regulation.

The win extends the T-Birds' win streak to four while pulling the defending Canada West champs within a single point of idle Mount Royal for first place in the West Division.
 

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Beyond the composure late to tie and then eventually come through with the win, the 'Birds know to a man they have another level to reach as the regular season enters the home stretch.

"I think it's more just mental decisions. I thought we missed the net way too many times on some prime scoring chances. I think it's a bit of a combination of decision making, chemistry and a lot of line juggling lately. We're going to figure it out."

Saturday will see the 'Birds and Cougars battle for the second and final time this season with UBC able to leapfrog Mount Royal back into first in the division with a victory. Puck drop at the Co-operators Centre is set for 3:00 p.m. PT. The game will be streamed live on Canada West TV.