Danya Janzen scored a power play goal with just 30 seconds remaining in regulation to give the Lethbridge Pronghorns a 3-2 win over the UBC Thunderbirds Saturday night at the Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre.
Janzen's goal came on a wrist shot from the slot as the 'Horns took advantage for the second time with the man advantage. UBC pulled goalie
Melinda Choy but it was too little, too late and the 'Horns held on for the weekend sweep.
The win moves Lethbridge into third place with six points while UBC sits tied with Calgary for last on just one win, however, the T-Birds have two games in hand on four teams in the league.
The T-Birds came from behind twice in the game with
Kaitlin Imai tying the game at 2-2 with just 1:55 remaining in the third. The second-year winger took a drop pass from
Tamara Pickford inside the Horns zone and worked her way into the slot before beating Lethbridge goalie Kailey McMaster with a wrist shot low glove side.
The Horns opened the scoring in the second period when Kendal Tremblay scored on the power play just under six minutes in. UBC's
Kelsey Halvorson scored at the 17:10 mark of the middle frame to even the game 1-1 with a wicked wrist from just outside the blue line that beat Lethbridge goalie Kailey McMaster high glove side.
Brittney Kaye restored the Horns lead just over eight minutes into the final period after stealing the puck behind the T-Bird net and banging in her own rebound after her wrap around effort was stopped by
Melinda Choy.
UBC out shot the Horns 26 to 22 but were unable to translate that advantage on the score sheet.
"In all honesty I thought we played pretty well tonight and carried the play for long stretches," said UBC head coach Nancy Wilson. "We need to improve our finish. Plain and simple we have to learn how to play against teams that collapse down in front of the net. We have good team speed and although we are young, our players are buying into the systems we are trying to play. Once the pucks start going in, everything will start coming together."
The T-Birds hit the road next weekend to take on the Manitoba Bisons while Lethbridge is at home against Saskatchewan.
