LANGLEY, British Columbia – The Trinity Western Spartans scored twice in just over two minutes to take a 2-1 second-period lead, but the defending Canada West champion UBC Thunderbirds responded with four unanswered goals to earn a 5-2 preseason win Saturday afternoon at the ARENAS at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C.
Fourth-year forward
Kyra Anderson (Regina) and fifth-year forward
Kara Yackel (West St. Paul, Man.) scored for the Spartans. Fifth-year defender
Ella Boon (Vanderhoof, B.C.) assisted on both TWU goals, while second-year defender
Sadie Isfeld (Coquitlam, B.C.) added one assist.
Scoring for UBC were first-year forward Emma Kohl (Fruitvale, B.C.), with two goals, third-year forward Hannah Dods (Chilliwack, B.C.), first-year forward Payton Henwood (Headingley, Man.) and fourth-year forward Cassidy Rhodes (Ardrossan, Alta.).
Third-year goaltender
Olivia Davidson (Edmonton) stopped 28 of 31 shots over 58:10 for the Spartans. UBC scored its final two goals into an empty net.
Thunderbirds first-year goaltender Ella Dunham-Fox made 15 saves to earn the win.
UP NEXT
The Spartans will open the Canada West regular season at home next weekend with two games against the Regina Cougars at the ARENAS at the Langley Events Centre. The teams will meet Friday, October 9 at 7 p.m. (PT) and Saturday, October 10 at 3 p.m. (PT). Both games can be seen live on Canada West TV.
AS IT HAPPENED
The opening 20 minutes ended scoreless, with Davidson stopping all 11 UBC shots. Dunham-Fox made three saves at the other end of the ice.
TWU broke the deadlock at 5:37 of the second period. Boon and Isfeld set up Anderson, who scored her first goal of the preseason to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead. UBC answered just 32 seconds later when Kohl scored off assists from Tayah Wallace and Jacquelyn Fleming to tie the game 1-1. The Spartans regained the lead at 7:39. Boon picked up her second assist of the period when she set up Yackel, who beat Dunham-Fox to put TWU ahead 2-1. Dods brought the Thunderbirds level for a second time at 16:28, finishing a setup from Hanna Perrier and Ilona Markova to send the teams into the second intermission tied 2-2.
The game remained even until Henwood scored what proved to be the winning goal at 15:49 of the third period. Kate Chuback earned the assist as UBC took its first lead of the afternoon at 3-2. TWU pulled Davidson for an extra attacker with 1:50 remaining. Kohl scored her second goal of the game into the empty net at 18:33 to extend UBC's lead to 4-2. The Spartans went to the power play three seconds later and again used an extra attacker, but Rhodes scored a shorthanded empty-net goal with two seconds remaining to make the final 5-2.
NOTABLE
- TWU held a 2-1 lead midway through the second period.
- The Spartans' two goals came 2:02 apart.
- Boon assisted on both TWU goals.
- Davidson stopped 28 of the 31 shots she faced.
- UBC outshot TWU 33-17, including 11-3 in the opening period.
- The Spartans finished 0-for-5 on the power play, while UBC went 0-for-3.
- Two of UBC's five goals were scored into an empty net.
- The Thunderbirds defeated the Spartans 2-1 in the teams' first preseason meeting on September 26 in Vancouver.
- TWU is now 2-33 all-time against UBC and 1-25 in Canada West conference play.
- Saturday's game was the Spartans' final preseason contest.
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 and women's and men's disc golf. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 15 U SPORTS team championships and 35 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 CIS 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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