Blake Murphy Sports Writing

VANCOUVER – The Canada West standings hang in the balance this weekend as the UBC Thunderbirds host the Alberta Pandas for a pair of games at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.

UBC currently sits in fourth place with a 6-3-3 record, trailing the second place Pandas by just a point. In fact, through 12 games, only five points separate first place and fifth place, making every game a must-win at this early juncture. After all, the top two teams receive a first round bye, and third and fourth place get a home series in the first round, while fifth and sixth place have to travel.

UBC split a pair of games against Manitoba this past weekend, while Alberta unexpectedly lost both of their games against Regina. Head Coach Graham Thomas is not drawing any conclusions from Alberta’s weekend, though.

“We have to respect them and what they’ve done,” said Thomas. “They’re one of the winningest programs in Canada West. They’re very well coached and they’ll be ready to play.

“They’re going to come in here fired up. They’re a good team, there’s no question about it.”

The Thunderbirds may be in tough on the offensive end despite having the third best offense in the conference, as Alberta is the top defensive unit in Canada West. They are backstopped by Michala Jeffires, whose .926 save percentage is one of the best in the conference. UBC goaltender Danielle Dube (Vancouver, BC) is one of the only goalies with a better mark, sports a conference-best .946 save percentage through seven appearances.

Alberta also has the second best offense in the conference, highlighting that their 8-4-0 record may underestimate the talent of a team with such a strong goal differential. Forward Karla Bourke leads an aggressive rush for the Pandas with 12 points in 12 games.

For UBC, the bulk of the scoring comes from the trio of Kaitlin Imai (Coquitlam, BC), Rebecca Unrau (Humboldt, SK) and Tatiana Rafter (Winnipeg, MB), who have 11, nine and nine points respectively. It’s a balanced attack that has served the Thunderbirds well so far, leading coach Thomas to emphasize playing their own game rather than being submissive to Alberta’s style.

The puck drops at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday night with both featuring live statistics.  Friday’s contest will be broadcast on CiTR 101.9 FM.