Files from U of A sports information
EDMONTON - A first-period offensive pile-up by the University of Alberta Pandas paved the way to a weekend-series split and a 6-1 win over the UBC Thunderbirds Saturday night at Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton.
Third-year forward Sarah Hilworth and fifth-year forward Melody Howard both scored a pair of goals while Howard and team captain Leah Copeland (one goal, two assists) each had a game-high three points for the 2-2 Pandas. Freshman rearguard Riana Magee scored the game-winner.
Third-year forward
Kaitlin Imai notched the lone goal for the 1-1 T-Birds.
"It was a tough game tonight," said UBC head coach Nancy Wilson. "It was a really bad first period and it dug us a very big hole. We couldn't claw our way back into the game despite a stronger second and third period."
After Friday evening featured a 10-2 unbalanced shot clock in favour of the Pandas after one period, yet only a 1-1 deadlock on the scoreboard, Alberta upped the ante on Saturday with a 15-2 shot advantage. The goals followed.
An early give-and-go on a rush between Copeland and Howard got the scoring started at the 2:07 mark of the first, as Howard returned the final pass that Copeland shot into a wide open net for her second goal in as many nights.
Rookie Magee got her first goal as a Panda when she found a loose puck in front of the UBC goal and batted in her second attempt midway through the first period.
Hilworth finished off the three-goal opening frame when she redirected a pinball shot past T-bird netminder
Melinda Choy.
The Victoria, BC native, who stymied the Pandas time and time again on Friday, had a rough go of it on this night, including a couple of bad bounces. In the second period, the puck flipped over her on an offensive zone face-off for Howard's first goal of the night and Hilworth scored in the third when her shot hit Choy's stick, popped over the goalie, and landed in the UBC net.
A goalie change and Thunderbird 5-on-3 advantage tried to swing the momentum, but UBC's two-game winning streak against Alberta came to an end.
"It was a split this weekend and we know we have what it takes to play against U of A. We just didn't have the same type of jump in the first as we did in the second and third," added Wilson.
Also having multiple point nights for the Pandas were senior Lindsie Fairfield and sophomore Katie Stewart, each grabbing a couple of assists.
UBC finished 1-6 on the power-play while Alberta went 1-3.
The Pandas head to Lethbridge next weekend to face the Pronghorns while UBC will also travel to southern Alberta to contend with the Calgary Dinos.
-30-
