VANCOUVER – The Calgary Dinos notched their first win of the 2011-12 season Friday night in Vancouver, but they did it the hard way - hanging on for a 5-4 shootout win over the UBC Thunderbirds.

BOX SCORE

Leading 3-1 heading into the third period, the Dinos gave up three goals in 2:49 to give UBC a 4-3 lead. Rookie Tyler Fiddler got one back just 17 seconds after UBC's fourth goal, however, and Calgary emerged on top in the shootout.

The Thunderbirds found themselves down by two goals in the third period when the team caught fire. Scott Wasden put UBC within one goal with a blast past Calgary goalie Dustin Butler. Then veteran sniper Max Grassi roofed the puck on a backhand after a pass from captain Justin McCrae to draw the 'Birds even. Ryan Kakoske gave his team their first lead of the game half way through the third period with a slapshot that beat Calgary's Dustin Butler through the five-hole.

But the Dinos answered back seconds later when Fiddler tied it up with a low hard slapshot of his own, beating UBC's rookie netminder Steven Stanford low glove side.

A few minutes later, UBC had a chance to regain the lead when the Dinos took simultaneous minor penalties, but Calgary was able to fend off the lengthy 5-on-3 situation.

After playing two periods of sudden-death overtime, including the new 3-on-3 OT period installed in Canada West this year, they teams headed to a shootout. Brock Nixon and Taylor Stefishen scored for Calgary, while Marc Desloges was the lone T-Bird to beat Butler in the skills demonstration.

Special teams played a major role in the game, as UBC went 1-for-6 compared to Calgary's 2-for-3 with the man advantage. In fact, Calgary opened the game's scoring on the power play when Taylor Stefishen deflected Luke Egener's blast from the point.

Calgary's second goal was also a power play marker, this time thanks to another a shot by Egener, but deflected by a T-Bird near the point, sending the puck over Stanford's shoulder.

Stefishen would go on to add a second tally with a rebound from the side of the net in the second.

The T-Birds' lone power play goal came courtesy of rookie Michael Wilgosh, who banked in a wraparound.

Butler turned aside 26 of the 30 shots fired his way by UBC, while Stanford was peppered with 37 Dinos shots and turned aside 33 of them.

UBC and Calgary wrap up their weekend series Saturday night at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Winter Sports Centre, with puck drop set for 8 p.m. MT.

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