Box Score VANCOUVER, B.C. ­– The Trinity Western Spartans played at the UBC Thunderbird Arena again on Saturday, falling 5-2 to the No. 9 ranked UBC Thunderbirds.
 
The Spartans (2-10-0) stuck with the Thunderbirds (9-3-0) for the entirety of the game, but UBC was able to hold off the surging road side.
 
Spartans defenders Lainie Nichols (Winnipeg) and Chelsea DeBusschere (Lloydminster, Alta.) scored their first Canada West markers in Spartans colours.
 
Reilley Kellner (Langley, B.C.) was the leading point-scorer for the Spartans on Saturday, assisting on both Nichols' and DeBusschere's goals. These two points stand as her first this season.
 
AS IT HAPPENED
The Spartans got out to a quick lead only 1:31 into the first period courtesy of Lainie Nichols' first goal in a Spartans sweater. Brooke Legault (St. Francois Xavier, Man.) and Reilley Kellner got in on the play, achieving their first assists in their Canada West careers. The Spartans seemed to have control over the game, but the Thunderbirds answered late in the period to tie the game with less than a minute remaining.
 
The Thunderbirds scored the lone goal in what ended up being a slow second period. Chanreet Bassi potted her fifth of the year, beating Jadeyn Kastning (Medicine Hat, Alta.) for the third goal of the game.
 
The third period was unpredictable in nature. Four goals were scored in the third after two periods which only saw three goals scored between both teams. UBC's Mackenzie Kordic was the first to strike in the period, potting one 9:23 into the period. With the Spartans surrendering their one-goal deficit, Chelsea DeBuscchere answered back 1:03 later to bring the score to 3-2 in favour of the Thunderbirds. Still, the Spartans were unable to hold off UBC's pressure that had amped up immediately after DeBusschere's goal. The Thunderbirds scored two more goals, rolling to their ninth victory of the season.
 
NOTABLE

• After a tough showing on the penalty kill on Friday, the Spartans answered back by killing seven of eight penalties. This was a massive key for the Spartans in sticking with the Thunderbirds throughout the game.

 
QUOTABLE
TWU Head Coach Jean Laforest
"I was really proud of the girls tonight. The outcome is another loss, but I look at that as a step forward for us. We played extremely shorthanded tonight. We don't have a ton of depth to begin with, so when you're missing six of your regular players that is really significant for a first year team. We held them to 2-1 after two periods, so I thought they played really well.

"It was unfortunate having the game suspended for 45 minutes due to McKenzie Mayo's injury, but tonight was a watershed moment for our team. We stuck around with one of the best teams in the country. They beat the tar out of us on Friday, but we turned around and made it a game today, it was a confidence builder for our girls. As a coaching staff, we look at the execution put forth by the girls in a game where we tried out some new systems. It was a good step forward for our hockey team competing with one of the top teams in the country."

UP NEXT
The Spartans will be playing Calgary at the George Preston Recreation Centre (Jan 14^th, 15^th) after the winter break.
 
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men's rugby. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 12 U SPORTS team championships and 29 Canada West team championships.
 
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