UBC’s women’s hockey team clinched their spot in the Canada West (CW) final with back-to-back wins against the University of Manitoba Bisons this past weekend at Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. The semifinals started on Friday night with a 4–0 shut-out by the T-Birds, and quickly wrapped up with Saturday’s 4–1 win.
Winning their last 14 games straight and finishing first in the conference, the T-Birds entered the series dedicated and driven for a shot at their fourth-consecutive CW championship title.
The first matchup was an extraordinary showcase of skills, built on the foundation of Thunderbirds’ goaltender Elise Hugens. After a scoreless first period, the ‘Birds applied pressure and came out swinging with three goals in the second with the aggression to match. Desperate, the Bisons continued to up the physicality, making for a really choppy and hard-fought period.
The Thunderbirds returned in the third period with their fourth unanswered goal in the 12th minute, this time after Karine Sandilands tipped in a Sophia Gaskell rocket from the point. Hugens stayed steady and kept the crowd chanting until the final buzzer with an electric shut-out.
“This team right now is really focused and really dedicated,” said head coach Graham Thomas after the game, speaking highly of Annalise Wong, Mackenzie Kordic and Chanreet Bassi who scored the other goals. But even with the shutout, Thomas noted the strength of the Bisons.
“They never gave up and they’re well structured …. They’re physical and they go hard,” he said. “So we’re going to expect nothing but that tomorrow.”
Saturday’s match rose in pressure, intensity and physicality, ending with a 4–1 win for the ‘Birds and no room for retribution for Manitoba. The full 60 minutes featured countless board-battles, rough penalties and an explosive UBC power play. CW goal-leader Grace Elliott scored two out of the three Thunderbirds’ goals, both on the power play, making her presence incredibly formidable during the game.
A sneaky shot by Bisons’ Julia Bird in the last five minutes of the second period was the sole Manitoba goal the entire series, ending the second period 3–1 in favor of the T-Birds.
The third period was decided with a final UBC power play goal in the eighth minute by Kasundra Betinol which was quickly assisted by both Gaskell and Ashton Thorpe. Manitoba couldn’t make up their deficit, and when time ran out, UBC was going back to the conference championship.
Saturday also featured a rowdy bunch of supporters who screamed and chanted for the ‘Birds to reach finals next weekend — and the crowd's presence was not lost on Thomas.
“To go four in a row as hosts is special and we’re not taking it for granted,” he said.
The team will host the University of Alberta Pandas for the CW championship at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre as they chase their next title. The series starts on Thursday, March 6 with first puck drop at 7 p.m.
Share this article
First online
