Box Score
VANCOUVER - For the second time this month, captain Christi Capozzi's shootout prowess was enough to lift the UBC Thunderbirds to victory as they defeated Lethbridge 2-1 in a shootout Friday night at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
In the sixth round, Capozzi scored her second shootout goal of the night (after the first three shooters, players are allowed to shoot again) to help UBC improve to 11-3-1 on the season. With the loss, Lethbridge is now 5-7-3 on the season. Rebecca Unrau displayed her nimble handiwork scoring UBC's other shootout goal. Aislinn Kooistra and Sarah Spence found the net for the Pronghorns.
Stephanie Schaupmeyer scored the lone regulation-time goal for the T-Birds in the third period on the power play, the goal that would carry her team through to overtime. Krystal Reithmayer had given Lethbridge a 1-0 lead in the first period.
Three minutes into the game, the Pronghorns opened the scoring when a rebound off goaltender Danielle Dube was picked up by Reithmayer and scooped into the net. Kooistra and Lauren Fredrich got the assists.
The rest of that period would go scoreless despite UBC's having the majority of the possession. In fact, that is how things would remain until Schaupmeyer's goal 3:57 into the third period.
As UBC gained momentum, Thunderbird Sarah Casorso rang a wrist shot off the post, followed by two close shorthanded breakaways. However, 60 minutes would not be enough as overtime was needed.
Dube made an astounding save to keep her team alive in the extra frame as she faced a lone Lethbridge forward in front of her crease. Time though would run out before either team could score.
Dube would stop 44 of 45 shots to improve to 8-1-0 on the season, while Pronghorns netminder Crystal Patterson stopped 32 of 33 shots she faced.
While Lethbridge could not capitalize on any of its four power play opportunities, the Thunderbirds went 1-for-3.
The two teams face off again Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.