VANCOUVER – Championship secured, the UBC Thunderbirds once again sit atop the Canada West conference following the team's fourth conference title in the past five seasons, defeating the Manitoba Bisons 1-0 in game two Saturday night at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.

It took everything UBC had to emerge victorious with its seventh conference title in program history. Within the opening minutes of the first period, it was clear that neither team was willing to give any open ice in an effort to avoid surrendering the game's crucial opening goal.

Both squads traded chances as Sadie Keller found herself alone in front off a centring feed from Norah Collins, but missed the open cage just over the outstretched glove of Elise Hugens. At the other end, it was Cassidy Rhodes who won a footrace to earn a point-blank opportunity alone on goal, but Emily Shippam turned aside the snapshot to keep things scoreless heading into the second.

Searching for the game's first goal, UBC was hungry for any opportunity around Shippam, who was stellar between the pipes for the Bisons. The fourth-year netminder from Winnipeg put forward a tremendous performance, and even with UBC on the powerplay twice during the second frame, the top ranked unit in Canada West was unable to convert.

But Saturday night's Canada West clinching game was destined to find a hero. Enter Cassidy Rhodes. After an aggressive forecheck, Karine Sandilands walked off the boards and found Rhodes alone in front as she slid the puck between the legs of Shippam, who was unable to recover in time.

Holding onto a tight 1-0 lead entering the third period, the hometown crowd held its collective breath with UBC just 20 minutes away from sweeping the championship series.

Manitoba turned up the intensity and was physical on its forecheck throughout the third, muscling for the puck at every turn and forcing dangerous turnovers in the UBC zone. Despite a barrage of opportunities, the T-Birds' championship aspirations were preserved by Hugens, who was steady in the final 20 minutes to shut the door on the Bisons.

Both now set their sights on the 2026 U SPORTS Women's Hockey Championship, hosted by the University of Waterloo, March 19-22.