UBC and the SFU played a pair of exhibition games on the weekend of September 23rd and 24th as the teams prepare for the regular season in their respective league.
UBC in the CIS while SFU is in the BCHIL and while both games were competitive, it was UBC that won both games by scores of 4-3 (overtime of Friday) and an 8-0 romp the following night.
Friday saw them play at the Doug Mitchel Sports Centre, while Saturday’s game was played at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre.
The game was close from the start between the teams as SFU opened the scoring late in the opening period on a goal by Jono Ceci with 5:30 left in the first period beating Jordan White of UBC to give the visitors a 1-0 lead over the T-Birds.
UBC tied the game in the final minute on a goal by Brad Hoban formerly of the WHL from Swift Current as he fired a shot past Graeme Gordon with :14 seconds left in the first period to tie the game at 1-1 shots were 16-6 in favour of UBC.
In the 2nd McDonald and Wagner of UBC scored goals 1:26 apart beating Gordon giving the T-Birds a 3-1 lead with each team having 9 shots.
SFU made it a one goal game before the period was over beating White with 1:03 remaining seeing the “Birds” taking a 3-2 lead into period three.
SFU tied the game early in the third but the story was “keeper” Graeme Gordon of SFU as he faced 12 shots keeping his team in the game with several outstanding saves forcing O/T.
The “Birds” patience paid off they scored the game winner at 2:36 while on a PP as Joe Antilla (formerly Kootenay Ice) banged home the game winner giving UBC a 4-3 win. Shots were 41-31 for UBC as both White and Gordon were outstanding.
White kicked out 28 shots for the victory and at the other end Graeme Gordon finished with 37 saves for the cross rivals from SFU.
Game two:
The second game was more dominating for the T-birds as they blasted SFU 8-0 in a game that they never trailed from the opening face-off.UBC opened the scoring at 9:17 on a goal by Wasden on the PP (his first of two) giving the T-Birds a 1-0 lead at the intermission.
hots after one were 9-8 for UBC.
UBC exploded in the 2nd scoring three times as Wasden notched his second of the night at 1:41 putting it past a startled Gordon of SFU.
Wilgosh for UBC added another PP marker at 10:27 to extend the score to 3-0 while Antilla got one late in the period giving the “Birds” a 4-0 lead after two. Shots through two periods were 16-14 for UBC.
The “Birds” made a goalkeeper change in the second putting in Steven Stanford replacing White and played the remainder of the game.
The final period saw UBC continue to hammer SFU scoring four more times with Wagner a mere 43 seconds in; again on the PP. Final shots were 30-18 for the T-Birds as UBC goalies Jordan White and Steve Stanford shared the shutout.
They combined for 18 saves and Graeme Gordon completed the game finishing with 22 saves on the night.
The two teams now prepare for their season openers as the T-Birds head to the University of Regina on Friday and Saturday the 28th and 29th of September.
SFU open their regular season as they host Eastern Washington Saturday October 6th at the Bill Copeland Sports Centre. Game time 7:00pm.
