VANCOUVER, BC — SFU will open up Captains Cup action on the road this Friday against the UBC Thunderbirds.

Coming off a thrilling 4-3 exhibition shootout win against the Okanagan Lakers on Saturday, SFU will look to best the three-time Captain’s Cup champion Thunderbirds for the first time since 2012.

“Without a doubt, we’ve got to take our game to another level,” said forward Kyle Bergh, who is entering his third season with the team and had the shootout winner against the Lakers. “The first half [of Saturday] was great, I think we outshot them by a decent amount. It’s a matter of: how can we put together a full 60 minutes? We’ve got to play north-south a lot quicker versus UBC.” 

The UBC roster is heavy on WHL talent, with recent recruits including former Vancouver Giants forward Cyle McNabb and Edmonton Oil Kings captain Scott Atkinson.

After the 2020 edition was canceled due to COVID-19, the fourth Captain’s Cup pits provincial BCIHL and USports rivals against each other in an 11 game tournament. Previously played between SFU, TWU, and UBC, this year’s tournament includes UVic and VIU. UBC has won the three previous tournaments.

“It’s big, it’s not a league game, but it’s a measuring stick for where our program is and where we want to be,” said head coach Mark Coletta. “They’ve got a good WHL pedigree, the puck will move crisp, so we’re really gonna have to play a different style of game and take our chances when they come.”

Puck drop is at 7 pm at Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. There will be no fans in attendance at the request of UBC Athletics. Streaming information will be made available on gameday.