BOX SCORE CALGARY- In the first game of the New Year the University of Calgary Dinos held a close game against the conference leading University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, losing 4-2 at the Father David Bauer Arena on Friday night.
The last time UBC was in Calgary they had their first Canada West Championship in tow. Once again the Thunderbirds came out on top, though the Dinos fought hard tying the game twice and looking for the tiebreaker that the Thunderbirds would claim in the last few minutes of the third period. UBC would reaffirm their win with an empty netter with seconds left on the clock.
"I am happy with the way we played, overall the girls brought a good effort tonight," said head coach
Kelly Bechard. "We can't take any games off, we're fighting for a playoff spot that's the reality. This game just shows we're just as good as the number one team in the conference, we just have to bring the consistency."
The Thunderbirds wasted no time to claim the first goal of the game. A mere 3:34 into the first period Rebecca Unrau put one blocker side past
Amanda Tapp with assists coming from Jenna Carpenter-Boesch and Nikola Brown-John to put UBC up 1-0.
It wasn't until the end of the first did the Dinos put one in, despite several opportunities. Passing from
Jessyka Holt and
Sinead Tracey on the power play lead to a slap shot from the point by
Stephanie Zvonkovic that went unseen by Samantha Langford to put the Dinos on the board.
It didn't take long for UBC to show why they are first in the conference breaking the 1-1 tie with 2:54 left in the stanza. Nicole Saxvik put her seventh of the year past Tapp on the power play to regain the Thunderbirds lead.
In the first few minutes of the middle stanza it looked as if UBC would control the period as Calgary was having trouble generating momentum on the power play. Momentum was however found for the Dinos on their second power play of the stanza.
Janelle Parent fired a shot from the point that was redirected by
Calaine Inglis, where it just trickled under Langfords pad and in, to tie the game at two a piece.
The Thunderbirds made a parade to the penalty box in the second period but this proved unsuccessful for the Dinos, going only one for six on the power play. The Thunderbirds were also unsuccessful on the power play, as they were held scoreless through two power plays.
"We got a couple goals off of the power play, that's a positive for us," explained Bechard. "We were trying different units and overall they worked."
Both teams continued to make their way to the penalty box for the beginning of the third period. Calgary had several opportunities during five on five action but it was the Thunderbirds that broke the tie mid-way through the final stanza. Stephanie Schaupmeyer would claim the tiebreaker beating Tapp down low with a pass from Alanna McMullen.
Tapp showed her veteran ability through the final period to keep the Dinos within one but with seconds left on the clock and an extra attacker out for the Dinos, the Thunderbirds found reassurance with an empty netter from Schaupmeyer for her second of the game.
Both teams will face off once more against each other tomorrow afternoon, Saturday Jan. 4 at 2 p.m. at the Father David Bauer Arena.
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