VANCOUVER, B.C. – The UBC Thunderbirds were made to work hard to keep their perfect start to the season intact by a resolute Saskatchewan Huskies side, but a second half goal burst saw the defending Canada West and U SPORTS champions come away with a 3-1 victory.

With the loss, the Huskies fall to 1-4-1, while the U SPORTS No. 1-ranked Thunderbirds improve to 6-0-0.
 
A goalless first half finally exploded into life after the restart as two goals in four minutes before the hour mark from UBC's Luke Norman and Henri Godbout sent them on their way. The Thunderbirds would soon add a third before Saskatchewan captain Ethan Cabral scored perhaps the sweetest goal of the game with a 20-yard strike in the 66th minute to round off the scoring.
 
UBC dominated the first half possession but were unable to convert any of their chances. Saskatchewan keeper Jaron Slopinski was resolute in goal, making four saves in the opening half and 10 overall on the day, a couple of the spectacular variety. Slopinski matched his save total from Friday night in Prince George, where the keeper came within one of tying his career-high in a single game.
 
The first real chance of the match fell to the Huskies, with Tao Hein just failing to connect on a good cross in from the left from Misgana Killoh.
 
UBC came close to breaking the deadlock on a couple of occasions, but the Huskies defence survived and the teams headed into the break on level terms.
 
The home team came out strong to start the second and their sustained spell of pressure finally saw Saskatchewan's resistance broken in the 55th minute. Thunderbirds captain Markus Kaiser sent a pinpoint delivery to the back of the box, which Theo Afework met perfectly to head across the goal for a stretching Norman to fire home from six yards out.
 
The Thunderbirds doubled their lead in the 59th minute when Godbout poked home his third of the season following a scramble in front of goal, and Afework grabbed his second goal in three days after Slopinski spilled a Nicolas Nadeau cross in from the left.
 
Saskatchewan pulled one back in the 66th minute when Dante Molina grabbed his second assist of the weekend, playing a free kick out to his waiting captain Cabral at the edge of the box and he blasted home a beauty from 20-yards out to give the Huskies some hope.
 
Both teams had half chances to add to the scoreline but couldn't find a way through, and the Thunderbirds made it six wins out of six to start the defence of their titles.
 
The Huskies return to Griffiths Stadium next weekend for a pair of games against the Trinity Western Spartans (Saturday, 2:00 PM) and Fraser Valley Cascades (Sunday, 2:00 PM).