The defending conference champs are back in action this weekend as the UBC Thunderbirds will head to Winnipeg to take on the University of Manitoba Bisons in a two-game set to kickstart their Canada West campaign.
After a seismic offseason that saw the 'Birds deal with their largest roster turnover in over a decade, UBC has had nearly a month of training camp and a handful of pre-season games close to home to help the new-look squad get acclimatized to the program and its culture.
Now, travelling as far from the Point Grey campus as they can while remaining in the conference for their first pair of matchups, the early time together on the road should only bode well as the T-Birds begin their title defence.
"It's nice that we're going on the road right away. We get that experience of a road trip, getting together, which will really work on team building, so we're definitely excited," said UBC head coach,
Graham Thomas. "We had a good preseason for sure, and the new players, they're sorting it out every day and every week. They're really buying into the culture and starting to feel comfortable and confident. So, it's been a really productive and much-needed extended preseason."
Despite the new faces on UBC's side, these two programs are all too familiar with one another after battling it out under the conference spotlight last March. The Bisons and the 'Birds went head-to-head for the Canada West title, with UBC taking the opening game 5-1 before securing the championship with a nail-biting 1-0 victory a day later. Each qualified for the U SPORTS National Championship, and despite solid showings from both teams, neither was able to claim the coveted trophy.
It comes as little surprise both UBC and Manitoba landed high on the conference pre-season coaches poll, securing the second and third spots, respectively.
Not only does this weekend feature two heavy hitters who feel they have tons to prove, but the matchup could also foreshadow another potential playoff clash.
"We're so close in votes, it could have been interchangeable," said Thomas. "As much as we get along with their program and their coaches, at the end of the day, we're all competitive, we all want to win. They obviously feel like there was more on the table for them, and they want another crack at it. So, there's going to be a lot of fuel for this one, it's going to be an exciting weekend of hockey."
For a program that has established itself amongst the elite U SPORTS squads over the past decade plus, there are certainly big shoes to fill in UBC's dressing room. In total, the 'Birds saw the departure of a whopping 12 players from last year's roster – including their two top scorers in
Grace Elliott and
Annalise Wong.
But the T-Birds also return a pair of key contributors who will be tasked with helping lead the new-look group. Defenceman
Jaylyn Morris is entering her fourth season after finishing third on the team in scoring last year, recording nine goals and 14 assists in 22 games.
Vanessa Schaefer is back for her third stint with the team after posting 14 points in 21 games, missing some time while earning an Olympic bronze with team Switzerland.
With a number of new recruits stepping into the lineup alongside the returning veterans, Thomas knows there will be an adjustment period – but the team is not using that as an excuse.
"We want to build on the standard, we want to get to that level, and we want to push forward and keep going. Even though we're young, we don't want to use that as an excuse. Yeah, we're young, so what? We're embracing it. We're embracing the new bodies, the new energy, and we're taking it on as a challenge. It's a really good attitude and mindset that our team has right now."
Puck drop for this new Canada West campaign gets underway at 5:00 p.m. PT on Friday, October 9, with the second game of the weekend to follow at 11:00 a.m. PT on Saturday, October 10 at Wayne Fleming Arena. Both games will be streamed
live on Canada West TV.
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