VANCOUVER – The UBC Thunderbirds gave the visiting Queen's Gaels all they could handle in the final period Friday night, but a stellar performance in the visitors' net and a couple miscues with the puck led to a 2-0 defeat in exhibition action at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
 
The 'Birds trailed 1-0 after two periods while being outshot 22-10, but much as was the case in UBC's pre-season opener against SFU a week earlier, the third period was dominated by the T-Birds.
 
Instead of UBC tying the game, however, it was North Vancouver's Eric Margo who gave the Gaels some breathing room with a goal against the flow on a delayed T-Birds penalty with three and a half minutes to go.
 
"We didn't respect the puck enough," said UBC head coach Sven Butenschon who liked his team's response, albeit late, in the third period.
 
"We thought we could make the nice plays through the neutral zone and we just had too many turnovers. In the third period we chipped the puck up, got pucks deep, got a forecheck going and created a few more chances that way and ended up getting more shots on net and more scoring chances. The first two periods we were just too soft with the puck."


 
Despite it being a pre-season game, just the second exhibition action for both squads, the tempo and pace made it look more like January rather than September.
 
Both teams traded scoring chances in the first half of the opening frame but neither could finish. Tyler Sandhu just missed on a redirect attempt while at the other end of the ice Matt Hewitt made a tremendous stick save after a T-Birds defensive zone turnover.
 
It was Hewitt's first action of the pre-season and he looked to be in mid-season form making 24 saves while looking confident and sharp between the pipes.
 
"He was sound in there," said Butenschon of his veteran goaltender.
 
"He made the saves he needed to and kept us in it and unfortunately he didn't get any offensive help tonight."
 
The Gaels had the decided edge in shots through the first 20 minutes with a 12-3 edge but the game remained scoreless.
 
The first penalty of the game wasn't called until three minutes into the second when UBC's Michael Stenerson got the gate for high sticking. But the Gaels' power play lasted all of seven seconds until Eric Ming was called for a trip in UBC's zone.
 
The Gaels opened scoring nine minutes into the second when Patrick Sanvido sprung Darcy Greenaway on a breakaway, slipping the puck past Hewitt for his first of the pre-season.

Still 1-0 Gaels midway through the third, the 'Birds nearly tied it when a Stenerson pass to Austin Glover was deflected just wide of the goal.
 
UBC carried the play through much of the final frame, outshooting Queen's 12-4, but couldn't manage to beat Jake Brennan who finished with 26 saves.
 
On a delayed penalty with less than four minutes remaining, Margo roofed the puck just under the crossbar to double the Queen's lead, Luke Bertolucci and Spencer Abraham picked up the assists.
 
UBC earned a late power play and it looked as if Matt Revel had the T-Birds on the board but he was absolutely robbed by a brilliant Brennan glove save to keep his shutout intact.


 
The 'Birds pulled Hewitt for the extra attacker with just under a minute remaining while the Gaels bent but didn't break earning their first win of the pre-season.
 
Third-year UBC skater Raymond Grewal is slated to make the move to forward this season but the Prince George native was back on the blueline for the 'Birds Friday night and looked solid in his old position.
 
"He was one of our best forwards last weekend against SFU and tonight he was one of our best defencemen," said Butenschon.
 
"A huge credit to him, even in the week in practice some days he's got to go forward, sometimes he's D and he seems to handle it well and he's doing a great job for us."
 
The loss drops UBC to 1-1 in pre-season play with a chance to get the split against Queen's in Saturday afternoon's rematch. Puck drop at Doug Mitchell is 2:00 p.m. PT.