BLADES GRAD STANFORD COMMITS TO UBC

VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds men’s hockey team announced the signing of goaltender recruit Steven Stanford (Saskatoon Blades, WHL) for the 2011-12 varsity season.

Stanford, of Calgary, put together an impressive 2010-11 campaign with the Blades as he posted 40 wins in 48 games with a 2.78 GAA and .910 save percentage. It was his second standout season in Saskatoon after being moved early in the 2009-10 from the Prince Albert Raiders. He owns a career 97-53-10 WHL regular season record over four seasons with a 3.16 GAA and a .901 save percentage. His post-season stats were even sharper, with a 2.65 GAA and .924 save percentage in 20 playoff games with Saskatoon.

“Steven’s record speaks for itself,” said UBC head coach Milan Dragicevic. “We are extremely pleased to be bringing in an outstanding goalie to solidify our tandem in net with Jordan [White] who was great for us last year. It’s going to be great competition with both players pushing each other to get better.”

Stanford knows he has some work in front of him to continue his success at the CIS level, though he is confident UBC is a great place to pursue his post-secondary career.

“I’m a bit unfamiliar with the style of play in the CIS but in such a short season the margin for error is small so I believe consistency and hard work will create success,” said Sanford.

“I wanted to make sure I attended an institution that not only had the potential of a strong hockey club but also a strong academic system. I believe UBC’s program gives me the best opportunity to pursue future endeavours. I hope to bring a calming influence to the back end of this team,” added the prospective business & computer science student.