BOX SCORE VANCOUVER – On a night they caught a break when the Alberta Golden Bears fell to Mount Royal in double overtime, the No. 1 University of Calgary Dinos fell victim to the same fate, dropping a 3-2 fifth-period decision to the UBC Thunderbirds.

Jessi Hilton potted his second of the night just five seconds into the second extra frame to hand the Dinos just their second loss of the season - both of them coming in double overtime.

 
Calgary's goals were scored by Elgin Pearce and Ryan Harrison.

The Thunderbirds got off to an unfavorable start conceding the first goal, an area of concern of late, as Pearce, the former Medicine Hat Tiger, potted his first career CIS goal from a Kodie Curran feed from behind the net.
 
On an almost identical play half a period later, the Dinos' Drydn Dow threw it out front and Harrison was able to get a stick on it to snap it low, blocker side on Steven Stanford for the forward's fifth tally of the campaign. A late disallowed goal by the visiting team limited UBC to a two-goal burden entering the first intermission.
 
A fresh sheet of ice sparked the Thunderbirds as the home team solved the Dinos defence less than a minute into the second frame. The 'Birds most consistent scorer, Wilson, pounced on the rebound and outwaited Kris Lazaruk as he cashed one into the open net surpassing his career best in points set last season. Joe Antilla and Nate Fleming collected the assists on the play. Fleming has points in seven of his past eights games, averaging a point-per-game over the span.
 
Both teams upped their play for the remainder of the second period with a number of big hits, odd man rushes and power play opportunities, highlighted by Lazaruk's strong play on the visiting end denying the Thunderbirds on a number of close range opportunities. Stanford stood tall in the second stopping all 10 shots he faced, as the UBC fended off the pesky Calgary offence.
 
Down one with a period to play, not an unfamiliar position for the Thunderbirds this season, UBC came out firing but a pair of chances in the early going were denied by Lazaruk. Hilton put the 'Birds back in business moments later as he buried a juicy rebound off the initial shot from Luke Lockhart to tie the game up at two with half a period to play. The goal was Hilton's second of the year breaking a seven-game scoreless drought.
 
A late penalty put the T-birds in a bind and with under a minute remaining in regulation, UBC was fortunate enough to have a Dinos' goal called back due to goaltender interference. The first overtime period would solve nothing as the game entered second overtime, with three skaters apiece.
 
UBC wasted no time in the second overtime period as Wilson unleashed a rocket at the five-second mark to beat Lazaruk top-shelf,  giving UBC the thrilling victory 3-2. Wudrick collected the assist in his first game for the Thunderbirds after transferring from the University of New Brunswick.

Stanford made 22 saves in the victory, and owns a 5-3-1 record on the season, now having won five of his previous six regular season starts. Entering the weekend, Calgary was the highest scoring team in the CIS averaging just over five goals a game through the first 20 games. Calgary backup Lazaruk got the starting nod this evening making 25 of 28 saves on the night.
 
UBC improves to 8-12-1 but still sit two points out of a playoff spot with 17 points. Calgary falls to 19-0-2 on the season and remains atop the Canada West standings still without a regulation loss, holding a three-point cushion over second-place Alberta.
 
Game two goes Saturday at 6 p.m. MT at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.

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