LANGLEY, B.C. – Despite a superb goaltending performance by Leon Sommer, the number one ranked UBC Thunderbirds (14-1-2) were simply too much for the host Trinity Western Spartans (3-13-1) Thursday night at the Langley Events Centre, earning a 4-2 victory to become the first team in the Canada West to clinch a playoff berth.
Leading just 1-0 after a dominant opening period, the 'Birds scored twice early in the second to stake out a three goal advantage before the Spartans clapped back with a pair of their own to make it a one-goal game heading to the third.
But the final frame was yet another lopsided one in UBC's favour, the 'Birds outshooting Trinity Western 17-8 in the period, but only managing to put the game on ice when
Sasha Mutala hit the empty net with 66 seconds left on the clock for the team's 32
nd consecutive Canada West win over the Spartans.
"That's a good hockey club over there, I know we had a lot of shots but I feel like that's part of their strategy, let us shoot from outside and they're going to not give up any grade 'A' opportunities," said UBC head coach,
Sven Butenschon, following his team's fifth win in their last six games. "Their goalie is big and tracks pucks well and it takes a lot to beat him. On our side I thought we kind of continued our style of play of just four lines, six D, heavy on pucks, heavy below the dots. It was a tough game mentally because you're up 3-0 and you think you should be up five or six and then all of a sudden they're coming down on a chance. Good game all around, I think we just have to stay focussed for one more game before that Christmas break now."
James Form opened scoring at the 13:40 with his second of the season, deflecting a
Quinn Disher shot just outside the blue paint. It was the only one of 25 UBC shots to slip past Sommer in the period, the conference's saves leader once again getting a heavy workout.
Closing out a dominant period that likely had the T-Birds deserving more than just the single goal, they made up for it early in the second scoring twice within less than two minutes to open up a 3-0 advantage before the three minute mark.
Alex Serraglio took advantage of a
Josh Williams cross-ice pass, wristing the puck far side, top corner past Sommer for the blue liner's second of the season just 36 seconds into the period.
Sent to their third power play of the game shortly after, the T-Birds expanded their lead on the man advantage with
Scott Atkinson's seventh, the veteran sniping from the slot off another set up by Williams who earned his sixth point in the last two games.
"Watching
Josh Williams play right now is kind of a pleasure," said Butenschon, in admiration of his fourth-year forward's recent play. "The game looks like it's in slow motion for him. He gets to pucks, he lifts his head up, he sees the play, he sees the second play after the first play. He's finding guys coming late, his reading of the game right now is elite."
Instead of letting the T-Birds runaway with the game still with well over half an hour to play, the Spartans slowed some pluckiness and battled back within a goal, Conner Farren scoring twice within a five minute span, both from in tight.
Nathan Ayotte hit the post from the slot nearly tying the game with less than three minutes remaining in the second.
The two division rivals traded power plays in the first half of the final period with nothing to show for it.
With just under two minutes remaining, Sommer was called to the Spartans' bench for the extra attacker before Mutala hit the open cage, snapping TWU's two-game win streak while officially booking UBC's ticket to the post-season.
Not nearly as busy as his counterpart in the other crease,
Brett Mirwald was solid and steady, stopping 22 shots for his sixth win of the campaign.
The veteran T-Birds' patience and persistence paid off in the end, now heading into Friday's final game of 2025 with a 14-point lead atop the west division.
"It's really evident, that mindset, whether it's in practice where you have one more rep, one more shot on a drill. One more game on a road trip, one more shift in a game, one more period, it doesn't matter, they're just still business-like, focussed, understand the situation, understand the game plan, stick to the structure, let the skill kind of take over on its own."
The T-Birds will now have the opportunity to head into the December break with by extending their now program record 16-game point streak while also earning the season series over the Spartans with a win Friday night at home. Puck drop at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre is set for 7:00 p.m.
Tickets are available online and the game will also be available live on
Canada West TV.
