EDMONTON – The UBC Thunderbirds piled up the shots while shutting out the host MacEwan Griffins 3-0 in the first of a weekend series on Friday night at the Downtown Community Arena in Edmonton.

With the win the U SPORTS No. 1-ranked T-Birds improved to 23-2-0 maintaining top spot in the Canada West standings with 46 points through 25 games played. MacEwan was officially eliminated from a playoff spot, falling to 5-16-2, 11 points behind idle Trinity Western with just five games left.

Elise Hugens stopped all 12 shots she faced to record her fifth shutout of the campaign while Griffins goaltender Taya Currie stood tall while the ice was tilted in turning aside 48 of 50 shots sent her way.



After a scoreless first period that saw the visitors outshoot the hosts 14-2 the 'Birds finally broke through in the middle frame while on the power play. With MacEwan defender Robyn Short in the penalty box due to a boarding infraction, it didn't take long for UBC's Jacquelyn Fleming to open the scoring with her second of the season, pouncing on an Ashton Thorpe shot that rested in the crease momentarily before poking the puck just across the line at 14:56 to make it 1-0. Currie was sharp in keeping her team in the contest, stopping 26 of the T-Birds 27 shots in the second stanza and 40 of 41 UBC shots through 40 minutes.

Currie maintained her stingy play through 50 minutes ahead of Karine Sandilands blast from the slot at 10:22 of the third squeaked through blocker side on Currie. Sandilands eighth marker of the season giving UBC some more breathing room at 2-0.



The Griffins pulled their goaltender with about four-and-a-half minutes left and even got a late powerplay, but they were still unable to muster much of an attack before Olivia Buckley hit the empty net with four seconds left to salt the 3-0 win for UBC. The T-Birds outshot the Griffins 51-12 en route to a fifth-consecutive victory.

The two teams will get right back at it Saturday afternoon with a 2:00 p.m. PST puck drop at the Downtown Community Arena.