VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds (5-10-1) battled hard all game long but a pair of Calgary power play goals was the difference as the 'Birds fell 4-1 to the Calgary Dinos (10-5-1) in their final Canada West men's hockey game of 2016.
 
Trailing by a goal, the T-Birds came out guns a blazing to start the third period and kept the pressure on Calgary the entire frame outshooting the Dinos 11-5 in the final 20 minutes. But Matthew Greenfield remained solid stopping a total of 21 shots, earning the game's second star.
 
The Dinos were awarded a power play midway through the third when Adam Rossignol was tagged with a goaltender interference penalty despite appearing to make an effort to get out of Greenfield's way as the Calgary netminder came way out of his crease to play the puck. The Dinos doubled their lead on that man advantage as Drydn Dow converted on a cross-crease pass for his second of the season.
 


The T-Birds got a late power play of their own with just over three minutes remaining but couldn't beat Greenfield. UBC then put Derek Dun on the bench for the extra attacker in the final minute but Dylan Walchuk hit the empty net for his second of the game and fifth of the season securing the win for Calgary.
 
"They're a tough team to score against but we got away from what we did last night," said UBC head coach Sven Butenschon. "Last night we kept it simple but tonight we made it too complicated."
 
Dun made 19 saves and was sharp for the second straight game as he finished the weekend with a .938 save percentage.
 
While it took 44 minutes Friday night for the game's first goal to be scored, Calgary needed just 3:28 Saturday for Walchuk to open scoring giving the Dinos the early lead. Calgary dominated puck possession in the first period outshooting the T-Birds by a 12-2 margin but it remained 1-0 heading into the second.
 
The Thunderbirds tied the game on the power play 2:39 into the second when Jerret Smith blasted the puck from the blue line for his second of the season from Michael Stenerson and Joe Antilla.
 
But less than four minutes later the Dinos re-took the lead for good as Adam Kambeitz deflected a Cain Franson shot on the man advantage for his second of the season.
 
The T-Birds finished the game 1-for-4 on the power play while the Dinos went 2-for-5. Smith's power play goal gives the first-year defenceman 10 points on the season, tied for second in team scoring.
 
"(Smith) has been playing great hockey like a veteran back there," said Butenschon. "He's composed and relaxed with the puck and confident. And when he doesn't have the puck he's good defensively and breaks up a lot of plays in the defensive zone."
 

?? On the power play @JerretSmith02 launches a ??.@UBCMHKY 1 - @UCDinos 1. 2nd period. #GoBirdsGo pic.twitter.com/Kp2uWI70uU

— UBC Thunderbirds (@ubctbirds) December 4, 2016

Saturday marked the final regular season game between UBC and Calgary and was the only one of four meetings that saw a margin of victory greater than a single goal.
 
The Thunderbirds' next Canada West action comes after the holiday break beginning 2017 in Edmonton to face the Alberta Golden Bears January 6-7.
 
"We just need to keep getting better every day," added Butenschon. "It's a sprint to the finish after Christmas and last year we didn't hit the ground running. We're just two points out of a playoff spot and we're getting thrown right into the fire starting against Alberta so we just have to be ready."
 
Calgary will contest a home-and-home series against Lethbridge in the first series of 2017, with the Dinos hosting the Friday game at Father Bauer Arena.