VANCOUVER –
Brett Mirwald earned his first career Canada West shutout while the Thunderbirds scored five times in the final two periods for an emphatic 6-0 bounce back victory over the MacEwan Griffins Saturday afternoon at Father Bauer Arena.
Rookie T-Bird forward
Reilley Kotai scored what stood up as the game winning goal early in the first period and added another insurance marker in the third while 12 different UBC skaters found the scoresheet in a complete 60 minute effort.
"I think big picture, what I really like is how as the weekend went on, we just got better and better," said UBC head coach,
Sven Butenschon, following the full value win. "Just the connection between all five players every time they stepped on the ice was much better. We worked really hard to support our teammates in all situations and I just felt like they couldn't keep up to that pace and you had a little more time and space to execute."
Mirwald was brilliant between the pipes especially in the first period, stopping a number of grade 'A' Griffin chances.
"I loved how he was anticipating, I loved his angles, I loved his reflexes," Butenschon said of his second-year netminder. "I loved the way he played the puck, everything about his game was on point and he got rewarded for it."
Up 1-0 after one, the T-Birds poured on the offence in the second period.
Nathan Sullivan's second of the weekend doubled the lead 3:29 into the frame, the transfer forward finishing with two on the afternoon with a late third-period power play goal.
Kayden Sadhra-Kang hammered home a puck from the slot for his first of the season five minutes later, playing back on defence Saturday having been placed up front the night prior.
Last season's UBC scoring leader,
Sasha Mutala, earned his first of the campaign nearing the final minute of the second to give the 'Birds a commanding 4-0 lead through 40 minutes, outshooting the Griffins by a 15-3 margin in the frame.
Kotai and Sullivan both earned their second of the game in the final period to cap off a full value win and a bit of redemption after Friday night's home opener disappointment.
"Of course we needed a response, so we can check that off. But at the same time, you got to get points, you just got to get points. It's going to be so close at the end of the season, one or two points here or there, so you got to find ways to get points every night. Even if last night you get one point and lose in overtime, just to get three out of four, because going .500 on a weekend is just not going to be good enough for this group."
The T-Birds will look to replicate Saturday's performance Thursday, October 9 when they host the Trinity Western Spartans for the first half of a home-and-home series which concludes Saturday night in Langley.
