Eoin Colquhoun, Pronghorn Athletics
Lethbridge – In overtime, and on their sixth power-play of the game, Alberta Pandas captain Cayle Dillon picked an opportune time to score her first goal of the season to give her Pandas a weekend split with the Lethbridge Pronghorns with a 2-1 win.
Walking into the left faceoff circle, Dillon beat Pronghorn goaltender Alicia Anderson low to the glove side for the winner.
Despite the setback, the Pronghorns did earn four points on the weekend after a single point today and three points yesterday in the regulation win. The Pronghorns sit sixth with 11 points with a 2-5-2-1 record. The win improves Alberta to 4-2-2-2 and a three-way tie for second place in Canada West.
Alicia Anderson had another exceptional game for the Pronghorns making another 48 saves to finish the weekend with 90 saves. Her counterpart Kirsten Chamberlin made 14 saves to earn the win for the Pandas.
For the second night in a row the first period was scoreless, however Alberta started the game far more aggressive than they did a night ago, controlling the play in the early going. In the period, the Pandas outshot the Pronghorns 14 to 6.
Panda Deanna Morin had the best chance to open the scoring in the first, staring at an empty net but a Pronghorn defender was able to recover and tie up Morin's stick.
Alberta's tenacity in the offensive end continued in the second frame, piling up the shots on goal but Anderson was equal to each, including robbing Morin and Alexandra Poznikoff on chances in close to the net.
The persistence by the Pandas led to three Alberta power plays in the period but the Pronghorn penalty killing unit was sharp again this afternoon, killing off three chances.
However, just as the third penalty expired, Alberta opened the scoring with just over two minutes to play in the second. Taylor Kezama stepped in from point and beat Anderson over the shoulder for her second of the season.
The Alberta lead did not last long, as the Pronghorns tied the game only 43-seconds later. Miscommunication by the Pandas behind their own net allowed Maddison Toppe to steal the puck and wrap it around into an empty net.
In the dying seconds of the period, Poznikoff nearly put her team back in front, beating a Pronghorn in the neutral zone and went in alone but could not beat Anderson on the breakaway.
Despite being outshot 32-8 through 40 minutes, the Pronghorns went into the final period with a chance to earn a second consecutive win over the second ranked Pandas.
Nearing the midpoint of the third, the teams had traded chances but Panda Kennedy Ganser had the best chance of the bunch. Breaking in alone following a Pronghorn miscue, Ganser's wrist shot was turned aside by Anderson.
With overtime looming, Alberta again hemmed Lethbridge in their own end for an extended period but the Pronghorn defence limited the quality of the chances the Pandas had and on the few high end chances they did have Anderson was once again there to bail her team out.
It didn't take the Pandas long to end the overtime as Dillon potted the overtime game winner only 1:51 into the extra frame.
The Pronghorns head out on the road next weekend traveling to Winnipeg to face the Manitoba Bisons. Next up for the Pandas is a home date with the Saskatchewan Huskies.