EDMONTON - In another commanding performance by linemates Tarin Podloski, Alana Cabana, and Leah Copeland, the #2-ranked University of Alberta Pandas got a combined 16 points in an 8-0 victory over the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, Friday night at Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton.
Podloski, the 2008-09 CIS Player of the Year, led the three players with seven points, including a hat-trick, while Cabana tallied two goals as well as three assists and Copeland scored once, getting three helpers of her own.
"Not a very good effort tonight especially after playing them so well in the pre-season," said UBC head coach Nancy Wilson. "We have a bit of a tired and sick team but still we have to play better. We started with a decent first period and had a good stretch in the third. Otherwise, it wasn't very sharp and we have to regroup and do a better job tomorrow."
The Calgary native opened the scoring at the 5:36 mark of the first, as Edmonton native Cabana put Copeland on a partial breakaway and the fourth-year forward slipped the puck through the five-hole.
Two minutes later, the Thunderbirds had a golden opportunity to tie it as
Chelsea Laing got in the way of a Pandas' point shot to give herself a breakaway from centre ice. Unfortunately, she didn't get the chance to test Alberta netminder Dana Vinge, her shot going wide over the top of the net.
The Pandas increased their lead later in the period with the goal of the game. Cabana took a hard pass from rearguard Nicole Pratt and deftly tip the puck to nick the top corner of the left post before falling just over the line on its side.
Getting some secondary scoring, Claresholm, AB native Emily Burton got her first goal of the season in the middle frame when she took a pass from alternate captain Lindsie Fairfield, getting her first shot stopped by UBC's
Melinda Choy before she buried the juicy rebound.
Podloski scored her first of the night on a wraparound 48 seconds later and scored her second in the latter half of the period off a faceoff, when she shot the puck top-shelf over Choy's glove. Cabana scored her second of the game, and sixth on the year, 1:47 after that, taking advantage of a goalmouth scramble to put the score at 6-0, heading into the final frame.
Canada West leading scorer among defensemen, Stephanie Ramsay, closed out the scoring with a perfect wristshot to the top corner for her fourth goal on the season.
The teams return to the ice tomorrow night at Clare Drake Arena, puck drop going at 7:00 PM MT.
