VANCOUVER –
Ty Thorpe scored with just 14 seconds on the clock to secure a late 4-3 comeback win for the UBC Thunderbirds Thursday night over the visiting Trinity Western Spartans.
Down 3-2 with less than three minutes to play, the T-Birds (2-1) capitalized on a late power play chance with
Jake Wright scoring the tying marker in his first game of the season, setting the stage for what seemed like a trip to overtime.
But in the dying seconds of the game,
Alex Serraglio held the puck at the point and found a wide-open Thorpe who cut across the low slot and went glove side past Raphael Audet, clinching UBC's 30
th consecutive conference win over the Spartans (0-3).
"Right from the opening draw I thought there was a lot of juice in the building. For a random Thursday night Canada West affair, holy cow, both teams brought it," said UBC head coach,
Sven Butenschon, following the charged early season battle. "I thought the fans were really loud too. It was a bit of a nail biter, really entertaining to watch. Stressful for coaches, but that almost felt like a playoff win."
For the second time in their first three games of the season, the T-Birds allowed the first goal of the game, a Jonathan Krahn power play marker just 5:12 into the opening period.
From the midway point of the first onward, UBC absolutely dominated puck possession and scoring chances while outshooting the Spartans 43-15 through 40 minutes although the game was deadlocked 2-2 heading to the third.
Jace Weir earned his first career Canada West tally on the power play, 41 seconds into the second on a long-range shot that found its way through traffic.
Quinn Disher gave the 'Birds their first lead at the 10:58 mark with his first in the blue and gold, converting on a centring feed from
Josh Williams.
But the Spartans answered back as the period approached its final minute with Mikhailo Simchuk's first of two on the night.
Midway through the third, Simchuk restored the Spartan's one-goal lead taking advantage of a T-Birds defensive zone turnover, roofing the puck past
Brett Mirwald on his backhand.
With just 3:10 remaining, a critical high sticking penalty to Artem Hrabovetskyi put UBC on the power play for the sixth time, Wright sniping from the half wall, far side, putting an exclamation mark on his return to the lineup after a gruesome training camp injury.
"So great to see Wrighter score, he lost four teeth a few weeks ago and cracked a bone in his face," said Butenschon, in admiration of Wright's toughness. "He was drinking smoothies and milkshakes for a while and then the minute the doctor said he was okay to go, he was begging to get back in the lineup and help the boys so.
"Then a great play by Serraglio, he gets it at the point, gets his head up, sees Thorpy wide open behind their coverage and then Thorpy just did the rest. Great calmness by Thorpy in a high pressure situation and great vision by Serraglio to find him."
Mirwald picked up his second win in as many starts for the T-Birds making 19 saves on the night while Audet did all he could and then some for the Spartans, finishing with 53 stops.
"The goaltending was a big part of it but they're real comfortable in their own zone defending. In that second period we were in their zone the whole time and I think we put up over 20 shots and tons of scoring chances. They rely on their goalie to make the first save and the rest of the guys do the rest and block shots. But the more impressive thing is just their execution on the few chances they did get. They did that last week against Alberta, they did that tonight and even on the ones they didn't score, they looked dangerous."
After such an emotion filled affair, it's fitting the two cross-town rivals get a day off before resuming battle in the back half of the home-and-home in Langley.
Puck drop at the Langley Events Centre is set for 7:00 p.m. Saturday in UBC's first road game of the regular season. The action will be available live on
Canada West TV.
