LETHBRIDGE, AB – With two goals in 49 seconds late in the third period, the Lethbridge Pronghorns earned a dramatic come from behind 5-3 win over the UBC Thunderbirds and earned their first weekend sweep of the season.
Looking to avenge a loss the previous night, the UBC Thunderbirds came out of the gate pressuring the Horns, hemming them in their own end for majority of the early going. However, the Horns were able to weather the storm and limit the T-Birds to shots from the outside.
It wasn't until a late period 5-on-3 power play were the T-Birds rewarded for the hard work.
Chelsea Laing found
Kaitlin Imai with a cross ice pass, whose wrister went off the post and in, behind Horns goaltender Crystal Patterson. The Thunderbirds held a distinct shot advantage in the opening frame, 13-5.
After combining for seven points the previous night, the line of Brittney Kaye, Shelby Ballendine and Jenna-Marie Durnin brought the Horns even early in the second. Amy Van Buskirk found Ballendine in the slot, beating
Melinda Choy glove side. Kaye got the second assist for her fourth point of the weekend.
Ballendine was back at it just shy of the halfway mark, keeping on a 2-on-1, beating Choy low blocker from the right face circle, giving the Horns a 2-1 lead.
Before the period was out, the T-Birds bought the game back level as Taitana Rafter collected a rebound in the crease and slid it in, past a down and out Patterson for her second goal in as many games.
Sarah Casorso collected a rebound just outside the crease early in the third, picking the corner to re-establish a lead for the visiting 'Birds. Just as it looking like the T-Birds would escape with a 3-2 victory, Durnin broke in off the right wing and beat Choy five-hole to tie the game at threes.
With less than two minutes remaining, Kaye jumped on a loose puck and tucked it in to the open net to give the Horns their second lead of the game. Then, with Choy racing to the bench for the extra attacker, the Horns forced a turnover and after Ballendine's shot was blocked, Durnin picked up the rebound and salted the victory away with the empty netter.
Rookie Crystal Patterson was solid yet again in the Horns net, stopping 33 shots while her UBC counterpart
Melinda Choy stopped 18 for the T-Birds. With the win, the Horns improve 2-7-1, while the T-Birds fall to 3-4-1.
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