VANCOUVER – It was an offensive showcase Saturday afternoon at Father Bauer Arena as the UBC Thunderbirds (12-1-1) completed the weekend sweep of the Alberta Golden Bears (7-6-1) with an 8-4 victory which also clinched the season series over their west division rivals.

T-Birds captain Chris Douglas completed his fifth career four-point game while his long-time linemate, Scott Atkinson, earned his 100th Canada West Point, just a day after Douglas met the same milestone.

Nicholas Jones stopped 20 shots to collect his first win between the pipes in the blue and gold while seven T-Bird skaters managed multiple points as UBC's lead atop the division expanded to ten points.

The T-Birds blew the doors off the Alberta crease with five goals in the opening period. Douglas' eighth of the season at 3:17 broke the ice with Atkinson earning the primary assist to hit the century mark.

Jake Wright doubled UBC's lead at 13:43 with his seventh of the campaign before Sam Popowich cut the 'Birds' lead in half on the power play.

But the 'Birds silenced Alberta's bench with three goals in 1:14 to take the four-goal lead into the break. Douglas' second of the game came on the man advantage at the 17:14 mark followed by Ty Thorpe's sixth of the season 40 seconds later.

Rookie Reilley Kotai took advantage of a Bears' defensive zone turnover to snipe his fifth at 18:28, capping off the dominant frame.

After allowing the five UBC goals on 17 shots, Alberta starting netminder Drew Sim was replaced by Ethan Kruger to begin the second period.

Marcus Pacheco got Alberta within three with his second of the season early in the middle frame, but the rally was short-lived as Atkinson responded just over a minute later with his sixth of the season, deflecting a Douglas shot in front.

Josh Williams got in on the action to give UBC a 7-3 lead at the 13:40 mark with his fourth of the season.

Gleb Tkach and Sasha Mutala traded goals late in the period as the 'Birds took a five goal advantage into the third.

Jayden Joly scored just 29 seconds into the final period for what turned out to be the final tally of the game, the remaining 19:31 somehow played without a goal.

Led by Douglas' four point afternoon, the T-Bird captain's line with Mutala and Atkinson finished with a combined nine points.

Now up by ten points on the Golden Bears and 11 on the third place MacEwan Griffins, halfway through the season the T-Birds have a stranglehold on the west division now with just two weeks of action remaining in the 2025 portion of the season.

The 'Birds indeed travel to Saskatoon next weekend for their only weekend series of the season with the 8-3-1 Huskies. The Golden Bears are back on the west coast to visit the Trinity Western Spartans, Alberta looking to snap a three-game skid.