CALGARY – Jake Lee completed his fifth three-point game of the season while leading the No. 4 UBC Thunderbirds (17-2-3) to a 5-2 win over the host Calgary Dinos (17-5) Saturday afternoon, sweeping the weekend and season series.

Now with a 16-point gap atop the conference's west division, the T-Birds more importantly hold a three point lead over the Dinos for first overall in the Canada West with just six regular season games remaining in the race to clinch home ice throughout the playoffs.

"I think we still have more to give and we're working through a few things, but overall it was a really nice step forward," said UBC head coach, Sven Butenschon, after the convincing sweep in Calgary. "We took our lessons last week and today it was a carryover from last night, it was very similar. Getting the puck deep, establishing a forecheck, pushing their D back, having good defensive zone coverage. And special teams were outstanding again today."



In an opening period eerily similar to Friday night's 4-0 UBC victory, the T-Birds opened scoring on the power play, Lee blasting a one-timer at 6:54 of the first period, just six seconds into their first man advantage of the game.

Alex Serraglio doubled UBC's lead at 16:39, sprung out of the penalty box on a 2-on-1 with Josh Williams, the second-year defenceman electing for the shot which got past Carl Stankowski.

Also similar to the night prior, the Dinos showed some pushback in the second, but Brett Mirwald was once again dialled in, perhaps the most impressive of his 21 saves coming on a Hayden Pakkala breakaway.



In the final moments of the second, Cyle McNabb extended UBC's lead to 3-0 with his program record sixth career shorthanded goal completing an end-to-end rush with a near side, bar-down snipe.

The Dinos finally got one past Mirwald late on the same power play when Gavin Schmidt backhanded a rebound just 43 seconds into the third period.

UBC captain Chris Douglas and Pakkala traded goals just over two minutes apart while Jake Wright put the final nail in the Dinos' coffin by hitting the empty net.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by UBC Men's Hockey (@ubcmhky)

Handing Calgary consecutive losses for the first time this season, the T-Birds now are clearly in the drivers' seat when it comes to securing first overall for the second time in the last three seasons.

"I still think it's about getting the most out of the individuals and the group and not looking at the big picture," Butenschon added. "It's still January and we're at the end of the schedule but there's still a lot of hockey to be played if we want to go all the way. We're trying to get better every day in practice, every game and it's a work in progress still."

The 'Birds are now just one win away from clinching first in the west division and a bye through the first round of the playoffs which can come about as early as Thursday in Langley when UBC kicks off their final home-and-home series with the Trinity Western Spartans. The back half Friday night features the Winter Classic – puck drop for the biggest campus indoor festival of the year is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. Tickets are still available HERE!