REGINA – The UBC Thunderbirds scored three straight to break out to a 4-1 lead early in the second period en route to a 6-2 win over the Cougars Saturday at the Co-Operators Centre, completing the weekend sweep while leapfrogging back into first place in the West Division.
Down 4-1 after 40 minutes, the Cougars (3-18-1) started a comeback push with Kade Runke's second goal in as many games early in the third, but
Josh Williams struck twice to seal UBC's fifth-straight win, officially eliminating Regina from post-season contention in the process.
"We got the win yesterday but we needed a bit of a bounce back game," said UBC head coach,
Sven Butenschon, shortly after his team picked up its 13
th win in 14 games. "Yesterday was the first game after long travel, a bit of jet lag, two hour time change…we weren't our usual selves. So we really needed to see more from the team, more from some individuals and I think (assistant coach
Matt Revel) and I were real happy with it, especially with the start. We had so much pace and tempo and they couldn't play with that speed and the tempo that we set. When we're playing like that we're a force to be reckoned with and we can actually do some damage in the playoffs if we can do that all the time."
After failing to score on the power play in each of their last three games, the T-Birds (17-6-1) executed twice on Saturday, both in the first period, finishing the game 2-for-5. The man advantage tallies came just 28 seconds apart as the 'Birds took the lead after falling behind 1-0, 66 seconds into the contest.
"Because we came out so hard, we drew those penalties. Now you got to come through and the guys did, they executed," Butenschon said. "As good as the power play has been at times, you just need to execute, you need to come through in those moments and because the guys were mentally prepared, they got themselves ready from the opening faceoff. Sometimes it's hard to execute when the power play comes early because you really haven't got your hands and your body may not be as warm as it needs to be, so I was very proud and impressed with the guys for executing there."
The Cougars opened scoring on their first shot of the game when Carson Whyte rifled his sixth of the season off an odd man rush.
After a Regina delay of game penalty gave the T-Birds a 59 second two-man advantage,
Jake Lee took all of 11 seconds to snipe his third of the season, short side past Adam Evanoff.
Still on the man advantage, the 'Birds struck again as
Jake Wright scored his team-leading 13
th of the season, unleashing a heavy wrister from the top of the circle.
Before the period was out, UBC took firm control when
Jack Wismer scored his sixth.
Chris Douglas blocked a Regina shot attempt and quickly rushed up ice on a 2-on-1. The T-Birds captain dished across to Wismer who had a wide-open cage.
Similar to Friday night, Evanoff did his level best to keep his team in it, including a tremendous pad stop on another T-Birds odd man rush. But late in the second,
Carson Latimer expanded UBC's lead to three with his eighth of the campaign. The rookie winger was denied by Evanoff from the left hashmarks but he grabbed his own rebound and slipped it five-hole.
The Cougars got back within two early in the third when Kade Runke one-timed the puck off a nice cross-ice feed from Paycen Bjorklund for his second goal in as many games.
Regina's comeback push lasted less than two-and-a-half minutes as Williams scored his first of two third period goals at the 4:49 mark. His pass on an odd-man rush was broken up but the puck ended up back on his stick in the corner as the third-year T-Bird banked it off a Regina defenceman and in, restoring UBC's three-goal advantage.
Williams struck again for good measure with four minutes remaining, his sixth of the season to complete his first multi-goal game since his rookie campaign.
Brett Mirwald picked up his seventh win in goal for the 'Birds making 13 saves, by far the less busy of the two netminders with UBC outshooting the Cougars 37-15.
Having leapt ahead of idle Mount Royal to re-take first in the division by a single point, UBC will be forced to watch and wait to see if their lead is maintained with the 'Birds entering their final bye week of the season. MRU is set to battle the Calgary Dinos twice next weekend with major playoff implications for all three teams.
"As soon as I started coaching at UBC and in Canada West I realized how much fun the second half is; After Christmas, the intensity, how every game means so much. Just because you only play 28 games and the standings are so tight and here we are again, probably even tighter than other years with the divisional format. Alberta and Sask just going toe-to-toe, everything is just building and building and it sets the table up really well for everybody, for the fans, for us – this is what you want to play for at the end of the season."
UBC will return to action February 8 and 9 when they host the Saskatchewan Huskies for the final home series of the regular season and a chance to clinch a home ice playoff berth.
Tickets for the only series of the regular season with the Dogs are on sale now.
