SASKATOON – Coming into Friday night, T-Birds' first-year defenceman Leila Sinclair hadn't yet scored her first UBC goal. But after getting one early against the Huskies, she quickly became addicted to finding the back of the net as she proceeded to do it two more times within the first 25 minutes of the game.
That offensive explosion paved the way for an eventual 5-1 win, as the Thunderbirds (4-1) took down the Huskies (4-2-1) fairly comfortably in the end, outshooting the hosts 29-10. Ilona Markova and Hanna Perrier each had three-point nights as well, both recording a goal and two assists.
The first two goals of the night came just 20 seconds apart, one from each team. Sinclair struck first on an early power play, crashing the net during a mad scramble in front and pouncing on a loose puck to flip it home.
Saskatchewan's Shelby Williamson did tie up the game right after the ensuing puck drop, but that would prove to be the only goal allowed by Mya Lucifora in the UBC goal. The Huskies likely thought they'd be able to get to the first intermission with the score still tied, but a Sinclair slap shot dashed those hopes with just 14 seconds remaining on the clock.
The Ontario native completed the hat trick less than five minutes into the second period, this time firing a wrist shot to the top corner off a feed from Perrier. That gave the T-Birds a little breathing room, but they continued to attack.
A turnover at the Saskatchewan blueline allowed Markova to steal the puck and rush down the ice on a 2 vs 1, and while her initial shot was stopped, Perrier was there to swoop in and slam the puck home for her second goal and ninth point in just five games.
That made it 4-1 heading into the third, a period in which Markova had another chance to push the pace on the rush. This time, she picked her spot well and fired the puck into the back of the net for the final goal of the night.
The Thunderbirds continue to hum offensively, as they've now scored four or more goals in three of their last four games. They'll look to keep that trend going tomorrow night in Saskatoon, when they face a rematch with the Huskies.
