VANCOUVER – In a fitting end to a highly entertaining affair,
Jordan Xavier scored the only goal in a shootout as the University of Calgary Dinos edged the UBC Thunderbirds 3-2 to earn the season series sweep Saturday afternoon at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
Following five minutes of scoreless 4-on-4, the Dinos (13-3-2) took two penalties in 3-on-3. Despite more than three full minutes of a 4-on-3 advantage, the T-Birds (4-10-4) were unable to capitalize thus forcing the incredibly rare Canada West shootout where Xavier played hero to give Calgary their seventh consecutive win.
Just like the night before, the Dinos held a 1-0 lead going into the second, this time courtesy of Canada West leading scorer
Matt Alfaro's 13th of the season. On the penalty kill, the third-year Dino poked the puck free and turned on the jets to put himself on a breakaway where he went forehand, backhand, beating Rylan Toth five-hole. It was Calgary's second shorthanded tally of the season and the second time UBC has surrendered one on the power play.
The T-Birds finally got a lucky break midway through the second when Matt Revel was credited with his first of the season. Breaking into the Dinos' zone two-on-two with Jake Kryski, Revel looked to centre the puck which bounced off Matthew Greenfield's stick and then off a Calgary defenceman and into the net.
Calgary's misfortune was quickly reversed when the Dinos restored their lead less than two minutes later.
Ryan Graham scored his fourth of the season on a breakaway at the 10:21 mark on a quick transition play after a Greenfield save off a UBC odd-man rush.
The 'Birds evened things up with their first power play goal of the weekend early in the third when Glover beat Greenfield glove side off a feed into the slot from Kryski who finished with his fourth multi-point game of the season.
Greenfield was stellar once again Saturday, stopping 33 pucks while Toth made 23 saves in the losing cause.
The Dinos finish the weekend alone in second place in the Canada West standings and will go for an eighth straight win when they return home to host the Manitoba Bisons next Friday and Saturday. UBC heads on the road for a critical weekend in Regina against the Cougars who are now just two points back of the T-Birds for the sixth and final playoff berth.
