VANCOUVER – After an explosive night on offence which saw the UBC Thunderbirds (21-2-1) score seven goals to topple the Regina Cougars (9-9-4), Saturday's grudge match at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre required a much more defensive effort with the number one ranked T-Birds grinding out a 2-1 victory.
Annalise Wong's shorthanded goal in the second period would stand up as the game winner, giving the T-Birds their tenth consecutive victory.
"I think that's the biggest takeaway, these teams are going to come at us hard, give us their best," said UBC head coach
Graham Thomas. "They're going to play a desperate, scrappy game and we got to be prepared for it."
UBC opened scoring for the second straight game as
Makenzie McCallum corralled a
Chanreet Bassi pass and sniped home her sixth goal of the season. The T-Birds would hold the 1-0 lead heading to the dressing room, outshooting Regina 11-6 in the opening period.
Bassi's assist was one of four points on the weekend, extending her point streak to six games. The dynamic fifth-year sits second in program history with 110 points as a Thunderbird and sits within striking distance of UBC's all-time record. The Lake Country, B.C. product is just six points back of UBC's all-time leader Tatiana Rafter with four regular season games remaining in her U SPORTS career.
The Canada West conference rivals traded barbs in the second period of the Saturday afternoon matchup. Fourth-year T-Bird
Annalise Wong disrupted a Cougars power play breakout, causing a turnover, and jamming her fourth goal of the season past Cougars goalie Arden Kliewer. Wong's eventual game winner was UBC's second shorthanded marker in as many games.
"(Annalise) was just a dog on a bone there," said Thomas. "She just didn't let up, was relentless and got paid for it."
Just over two minutes after Wong's goal, the Cougars would strike at the tail end of a 5-on-3 power play. First-year Cassidy Peters stuck with a loose puck and potted her first career U SPORTS goal past T-Birds goalie
Mya Lucifora. However, Peters' power play goal was the Cougars' lone marker in a 2-1 loss. The Cougars finished the game 1-for-7 on the power play, while UBC went 0-for-3.
UBC did open the door for a Cougars comeback, taking two late game penalties in what would end up being a scoreless third. Fittingly, it was Wong blocking a point shot in the dying seconds to secure the win.
The Thunderbirds enter their bye week atop the West division, and Canada West conference, with 43 points. However, it will be a race to the finish with Alberta chasing the top spot as well.
"I anticipate us and Alberta going at it right down to the wire for the overall top spot, and that would be good, it pushes us. It challenges us to be better, to be sharper, and we've got to keep pushing."
The T-Birds return to Canada West action February 8 and 9 when they visit the Saskatchewan Huskies for their final road series of the regular season.
