VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds women's hockey team earned a hard-fought victory against the McGill Martlets on Sunday to wrap up the Queen's Invitational Tournament in Kingston, Ont. Skating away with a 3-2 'W', the Thunderbirds end the preseason tournament on a good note, improving their non-conference record to 1-2-0, not including two wins against the Pacific Steelers in early September. 
 
Things didn't start off too well for the Thunderbirds as they took three penalties in the first period, but escaped unscathed. Both teams aimed eight shots at the net, but no one got to celebrate.
 
The second period didn't show too much promise either, as McGill fifth-year Gabrielle Davidson squeezed a shot past T-Bird Samantha Langford (Pense, Sask.) in net for a shorthanded goal, the first tally of the night. But the 'Birds weren't down for long. Five minutes later, rookie Mathea Fischer (Oslo, Norway), second-year Kaylin Snodgrass (Longview, Alta.) and rookie Shiayli Toni (Saskatoon) took matters into their own hands, battling back. The three tag-teamed McGill goalie Brittany Smrke and Toni was able to slip the puck past her for UBC's first goal of the game.
 
The Thunderbirds came out strong in the third, taking command of the game with a goal in the first 27 seconds. Nicole Saxvik (North Vancouver) earned the tally, her second goal of the preseason. Seven minutes later, she assisted on UBC's third and final goal of the game, a snipe by fourth-year forward Steph Schaupmeyer (Kelowna, B.C.).
 
McGill earned one more goal before the final frame was finished, an even-strength tally with 8:58 left in the game.
 
UBC is headed home now, with two more home games to play in exhibition. Next Friday and Saturday they will host Team B.C. U-18s at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre. Puck drop for the regular season is October 2 as the Thunderbirds host Lethbridge.