EDMONTON – Backstopping the Thunderbirds (13-0) to a 5-1 victory over the Alberta Pandas (3-6-4) Friday night at Clare Drake Arena, UBC goaltender Elise Hugens set a new Canada West record with her 65^th victory.

Olivia Buckley led all scorers with two goals, while Jaylyn Morris, Vanessa Schaefer, and Karine Sandilands added goals themselves as UBC took control through the second period and never looked back. Grace Elliott and Cassidy Rhodes each recorded two assists, while Hugens stopped 15 shots for the new conference high water mark and her seventh victory of the season.

"We're so proud of her, her unwavering commitment to her craft, all the work she's put in," said UBC head coach, Graham Thomas of his record setting netminder. "She's a fierce competitor. Her leadership in the crease has really elevated everyone around her, the entire group and the goalie tandems she's had over her time here. Canada West has always had a lot of really strong goalies so it's an incredible individual accomplishment and I know she's not done yet."



Raegan Yewdall scored the lone Pandas goal late in the third to end the UBC shutout bid. UBC finished the game with a 29-16 shot advantage, winning their third game over the Pandas this season to extend their season-long win streak to 13. 

Buckley's two-goal performance set the tone during a dominant run of UBC power plays, where the Thunderbirds struck four times. Morris opened the scoring at 2:19 of the second period, converting on the advantage from Elliott. Less than two minutes later, Buckley notched her first of the night on another power play, assisted by Rhodes and Ashton Thorpe. Buckley added her second at 13:54, again on the power play, finishing a setup from Rhodes and Jacquelyn Fleming.

UBC continued to generate momentum beyond its special-teams play. At 15:19, Schaefer extended the lead to 4–0, finishing a sequence involving Elliott and Annalise Wong. The goal capped a second period in which Alberta struggled to contain UBC's zone pressure and failed to capitalize on three power-play opportunities of its own.

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The Thunderbirds added their fifth goal early in the third period when Sandilands struck on the power play at 6:23, assisted by Hanna Perrier. UBC controlled most of the period's early possession despite trading penalties with Alberta, and their fifth marker all but secured the result.

Alberta broke the shutout in the final minute when Yewdall scored, unassisted. It was Alberta's lone goal on a night where the team went 0-for-6 on the power play and generated 16 shots.

"There was a lot going on, playing the defending Canada West champs, we didn't have a great first period," said Thomas. "Tonight it was a story of special teams, I'm really proud of special teams and how they made a big impact and executed, it was the difference in the game really."

The T-Birds will look to secure the season series over the Pandas while pushing their win streak to 14 in Saturday's rematch. Puck drop at Clare Drake Arena is 4:00 p.m. PT with the game available live on Canada West TV.