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VANCOUVER – Hayley Wickenheiser's unassisted goal at 4:03 of overtime allowed the No. 1 University of Calgary Dinos to escape with a 6-5 win over the UBC Thunderbirds Saturday night at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.

The goal, Wickenheiser's second of the season, was controversial as UBC claimed it had been kicked into the net, but it was allowed to stand as the Dinos improved to 4-0 on the season, extending their unbeaten string to 21 conference and playoff games.

It was a crazy ending to a crazy night that featured six goals on special teams, a game-winner in overtime four-on-four, and a sterling goaltending performance by UBC netminder Samantha Langford who, despite giving up six goals, faced 41 shots and gave her team every chance to win the game.

Calgary's other goals were scored by Iya Gavrilova, who had two, Stephanie Zvonkovic, Chelsea Peterson, and Stephanie Ramsay. Ramsay's goal at 18:48 of the third on the power play sent the game into overtime, just over four minutes after Gavrilova's second of the night – a shorthanded tally – had tied it at four. In between, UBC struck again on the power play, with Tatiana Rafter beating Dinos goalie Jennifer Mallard.

Mallard, in her first start of the season, collected the win after a 16-save performance.

In addition to Rafter, UBC had tallies from Rebecca Unrau, Kaitlin Imai, Genevieve Carpenter-Boesch, and Stephanie Schaupmeyer.

UBC struck first 4:31 into the contest when Kaitlin Imai found Unrau with a nice cross-crease pass for a one-timer. The Thunderbirds couldn't capitalize on their three other power plays in the first period, missing an opportunity to expand their one-goal lead.

Imai scored just 1:42 into the second frame, another power play marker, but the momentum wouldn't last long. Calgary would score three straight goals over a span of seven minutes and had UBC reeling. Gavrilova, Zvonkovic, and Peterson scored less than seven minutes apart in the middle frame to give the Dinos their first lead of the night.

That lead was short-lived, however, as just 21 seconds later Carpenter-Boesch evened the score.
 
The third period was one of the more exciting frames of the young season, as the teams traded goals and penalties, with Langford making 16 saves to steady a Thunderbirds unit that was under heavy pressure.
 
After Rafter was rejected on a shot attempt, Schaupmeyer buried the rebound to make it 4-3. UBC managed to kill a 5-on-3 disadvantage, and Langford also turned away Wickenheiser on a breakaway.
 
After a sloppy defensive zone turnover on the power play by UBC, Gavrilova responded with her second goal of the game, burying the feed from Wickenheiser to tie the game at four.
 
With four minutes to go, Rafter netted a power play goal to give UBC yet another lead, this time at 5-4. But after an untimely penalty and a pulled goalie gave the Dinos a 6-on-4 advantage, Ramsay would tie the game and force overtime with just 1:12 remaining.

Wickenheiser added three assists to her game-winner for a four-point night, firing 10 of the Dinos' 41 shots toward Langford.

Calgary plays host to the Regina Cougars for a two-game set next Friday and Saturday, Oct. 19-20, at Father David Bauer Arena.

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