VANCOUVER –
Cole Schwebius pitched his sixth career Canada West shutout while veteran forward
Josh Williams scored twice as the UBC Thunderbirds (1-1) answered back with a 3-0 victory over the visiting Manitoba Bisons (1-1) Saturday afternoon at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
A strong response after Friday night's home opener loss, the T-Birds scored once in each period while outshooting Manitoba 24-16 to earn the season opening split for a much needed boost.
"It was a funny game, a funny weekend," said UBC head coach,
Sven Butenschon, who despite the win, still saw areas needing improvement. "There were some really good moments and some really bad moments, not enough consistency in staying structurally sound. Even though they didn't have that many shots, I still felt like
Cole Schwebius had to make too many tricky saves or stops in tight. Situational awareness, knowing when you're out there at the end of a shift, keeping it simple when you're out there against the other team's top line – those little things need to get a lot better."
Schwebius wasn't overly busy on the whole, but as his head coach alluded to, the timeliness and difficulty of many of his 16 stops were critical to the game's outcome.
"His game has really gone to another level and honestly, the way we're playing right now with these massive breakdowns, I don't know if there's a better goalie in those situations," said Butenschon in praise of his veteran goaltender. "He's a good goalie when the team's playing really well and structured defensively, but he's a great goalie when you're facing the cross-crease passes and those point blank shots – that's when he's really good."
Just as was the case in Friday night's season opener,
Brayden Schuurman opened scoring for the T-Birds in the first period. Sprung on a breakaway by captain
Ty Thorpe's outlet, the second-year transfer outwaited Bisons netminder Matthew Kieper, tucking the puck past his outstretched left pad.
Williams' first on the afternoon came early in the second, just ten seconds into UBC's first power play opportunity. Off the O-zone faceoff, the 'Birds setup immediately and the fifth-year forward one-timed a Schuurman pass clean into the back of the net.
Just 27 seconds into the third, Williams struck again with a beautifully placed shot, far side past Kieper. Earning his third point of the night with a helper, Schuurman completed a four-point weekend for a remarkable start to his Thunderbird career.
"We're going to need them but at the same time I don't want to put extra pressure on them," Butenschon said of his offensive guns who came through Saturday. "We're a good team, we're going to win by committee."
The 'Birds will next put their committee to the test next Friday night when they play their first road game of the season, a quick trip to Langley to face the Trinity Western Spartans for a home-and-home series concluding Saturday, October 17 at UBC's Father Bauer Arena.
Tickets for Saturday afternoon's contest are available online now.
