VANCOUVER, British Columbia – The Trinity Western Spartans battle the No. 2 UBC Thunderbirds to earn a point with a 4-3 overtime loss Friday night at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre in Vancouver, B.C. The Spartans, who are in third spot in the Canada West West division fall to 10-11-1-0, while the first-place Thunderbirds improve to 19-2-1-0.
 
Scoring for the Spartans was second-year forward Brooke Dorash (Ardrossan, Alta.) with her second of the season (15:58-1st), fourth-year centre Jordyn Matthews (Okotoks, Alta.) with her sixth of the season (14:56-2nd), and third-year blueliner Ella Boon (Vanderhoof, B.C.) with her first of the season (17:18-2nd).
 
Scoring for the Thunderbirds was Jacquelyn Fleming (2) with her eighth of the season (4:36-3rd) and ninth with the game-winner (4:32-OT), Mackenzie Kordic with her ninth of the season (0:16-2nd), and Grace Elliott with her 17th (18:25-3rd).
 
Fourth-year goalie Kate Fawcett (Tottenham, Ont.) made 33 saves in the TWU overtime loss, while Elise Hugens made 20 saves in the T-Bird win.
 
UP NEXT
The Spartans will now head to Calgary next week to take on the Calgary Dinos on Friday, January 24, and Saturday, January 25. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. (MT) and 2 p.m. (MT), and both games will be streamed live on Canada West TV.
 
QUOTABLE
Trinity Western Head Coach Peter Hay
"So close. Another positive step for our team to take UBC to overtime. We played well enough and deserved to win with great play by every player. The buy-in and coachability on this team is high. They executed a game plan and played the right way being stingy and giving UBC very little. We capitalized on some key chances and our power play came through when we needed one. That overtime point could be massive as we head down the final playoff push. Again, the process is in a good place and we are getting better with every game and ready to peak at the right time of year."
AS IT HAPPENED
Trinity Western took an early lead against the Thunderbirds with a shorthanded goal by Dorash at the 15:58 mark of the first period, marking her second goal of the season. The period featured two penalties, one for each team, yet the Spartans capitalized during the Thunderbirds' power play to score the only goal of the period, finishing with a 1-0 lead.
 
In the second period, Trinity Western and UBC each scored one goal, maintaining a tight contest. The Thunderbirds opened the scoring just 16 seconds into the period with Kordic's ninth goal of the season. TWU responded at 14:56 with Matthews scoring her sixth goal of the season, assisted by Kyra McDonald, taking advantage of a strange bounce off of the end boards. The Spartans also had a power play opportunity following a head contact penalty on UBC's Vanessa Schaefer, but they were unable to capitalize.
 
In the third period, Fleming scored, marking her fifth goal of the season. The Spartans capitalized on their power play opportunity when Boon scored her first goal of the season at 17 minutes and 18 seconds, assisted by fourth-year forward Chloe Reid (Leduc, Alta.) and rooke blueliner Chayce Kullman (Calgary, Alta.). UBC's Grace Elliott got the game-tying goal at 18 minutes and 25 seconds, assisted by Chanreet Bassi and Annalise Wong, to send the game into overtime.
 
In the overtime period, the Thunderbirds' Fleming got the game-winner at four minutes and 32 seconds, assisted by Ashton Thorpe. This goal marked Fleming's sixth of the season.
 
NOTABLE 

• The Thunderbirds outshot the Spartans 37-23.
• TWU was 1-3 on the power play, while UBC was 0-2.
• Last night the Spartans fell 4-1 to the Thunderbirds.
• Three Stars: UBC Jacquelyn Fleming, UBC Annalise Wong, TWU Kate Fawcett.
• TWU lost 3-0, and 3-1 to UBC in the first semester.
• TWU is currently 2-21-1 lifetime against the Thunderbirds.
• The Spartans' only Canada West conference win against the Thunderbirds was 3-2 in overtime on November 10, 2022.

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 14 U SPORTS team championships and 34 Canada West team championships.
 
About Trinity Western University
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and wins national championships in U SPORTS. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.
 
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