VANCOUVER - The UBC Thunderbirds escaped from a tight battle with a shootout victory on Friday night, topping Mount Royal 2-1.
BOX SCORE
The win was the third straight for the Thunderbirds, marking the program's longest winning streak since a four-game run in November of 2009. Such a mark continues the successful start to the season and the new regime under head coach
Graham Thomas, improving the team's record to 5-2-2.
WHK: T-Birds v Mt. Royal (Nov. 2, 2012) Gallery
UBC wasn't at it's best, though, making several careless turnovers in their own zone. Luckily, goaltender
Danielle Dube (Vancouver, BC) was reliable as usual in turning away 28 shots. The turnovers will have to stop, however, according to Thomas.
“With the turnovers, we have to be better,” Thomas explained. “That was the message tonight. It was ugly at times, we need to be more consistent.”
A Mount Royal goal just four minutes into play had UBC trailing for most of the game. It wasn't until a 5-on-3 advantage 12 minutes into the final period that UBC struck, with
Rebecca Unrau (Humboldt, SK) banging in her own rebound in close to tie the game.
Overtime solved nothing, even after a late UBC penalty gave Mount Royal a few chances in the final minute of play.
The 1-1 tie gave UBC their second crack at a shootout this season. Dube turned away all three Mount Royal shooters, while UBC's second shooter,
Christi Capozzi (Kelowna, BC) made a fantastic deke, outwaiting goalie Katie Sigurdson on her forehand for the deciding marker.
Coming off the first sweep of Saskatchewan in program history last weekend, the tying of a three-year-old program-best winning streak is another reason for confidence.
For Thomas, though, the season has been more about process than result. That mindset is paying off so far, giving the team the confidence to battle through a tough start and a game where the bounces didn't seem to be going their way.
“It was obvious we were fighting the puck in the beginning,” said Thomas. “But we didn't use that as an excuse. We just kept trying to find ways. That's three come from behind wins in a row. That shows a lot of character and a lot of fight in our team.”
UBC will host Mount Royal in an afternoon contest on Saturday, looking to extend their winning streak to four at 2 p.m. at Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
