Penalties cost the Huskies in their games against the top-ranked UBC Thunderbirds.

The Huskies women’s hockey team fell to 7-3-2 after failing to defeat the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds in Vancouver, B.C. The Dogs dropped the first game 2-3 on Nov. 15 and the second 1-2 in overtime on Nov. 16.

Power plays hurt the Huskies during Friday night’s game as all three of the Thunderbirds’ goals came when the Dogs were shorthanded. The Huskies held an advantage of their own three times but could not generate a goal.

The T-Birds struck first at 15:26 into the opening frame when Hannah Heisler fired a shot past Huskie goalie Cassidy Hendricks. The home team extended their lead to 2-0 in the second period when Tatiana Rafter netted a goal from the slot.

The Huskies offence began their reply seconds into the final frame. Cami Wooster picked up the puck after sloppy play from the T-Birds and promptly put it in the net. Just shy of the 10-minute mark, Huskie Julia Flinton scored the tying goal with a shot from just short of the blue line.

It didn’t t take long for the home team to reclaim the lead. Heisler netted her second goal of the night and the game winner at 14:38.

Hendricks made 18 saves while, at the other end of the ice, Danielle Dube made 30. The T-Birds outscored the Huskies 32-21.

Saturday night’s game went into overtime to decide the winner after three tight periods of play.

Neither team was able to find the net in the opening frame and the score stayed locked at 0-0 until the second period. Less than a minute in on a 3-on-1 break, Rafter sent a cross-ice pass to an open Sarah Casorso who easily maneuvered the puck past Huskies goalie Karen Lefsrud. At 13:38 in the same frame Kaitlin Willoughby scored the tying goal during a scramble in front of the T-Birds’ net.

After a scoreless third period the teams headed into overtime tied at one apiece.

The Huskies had a chance to score in overtime after Nikola Brown-John earned a penalty at 1:53 for unsportsmanlike conduct. The Dogs weren’t able to capitalize off the one man advantage and it later came back to hurt them when the T-Birds scored at 8:48 into the extra frame.

Brown-John recorded the winning goal off of a pass from Casorso which she slotted through the legs of Lefsrud.

Lefsrud stopped 22 shots while Samantha Langford blocked 30 for the T-Birds.

The Huskies host the University of Regina Cougars on Nov. 22 and 23.

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Photo: Josh Curran/Ubyssey