Eoin Colquhoun, Pronghorn Athletics
Lethbridge – Entering the final weekend of conference play, both the Lethbridge Pronghorns and Alberta Pandas had secured a spot in the Canada West women's soccer playoffs but playoff positioning was at stake for both teams. The Pandas were able to clinch top spot in the Prairie Division with a 3-0 win in the second last conference game for both teams.
The loss drops the Pronghorns record to 4-7-2 and doesn't clear up the Pronghorns playoff positioning. With Mount Royal's loss to Calgary, the Pronghorns can still catch the Cougars for fourth and both teams will face each other tomorrow in the regular season finale.
The Pronghorns can also still be caught by the Manitoba Bisons for fifth. With a Manitoba win tomorrow and a Pronghorn loss, the Pronghorns would finish sixth.
The Pandas improve to 9-2-2 and will host one play-in game and quarter final next weekend.
The Pandas opened the scoring in the 35th minute off a free-kick from just outside the Pronghorns penalty area. Aly Parth played a perfect ball that found a hole in the Pronghorns wall and into the upper half of the net past 'Horns keeper Micaela Stone.
In a relatively uneventful first half, the Pandas had four shot attempts to the Pronghorns two and each team attempted one corner kick.
Early into the second half the Pronghorns nearly tied the game, first-year forward Collette Mofakham took a pass from Kayla Blacquiere just inside the Pandas penalty area but her blast found the cross bar.
In the 60th minute, Sydney Daines doubled the lead for the Pandas. Out racing two Pronghorn players, Daines hit the ball in stride and picked the low left corner from 20-yards out.
Right after the Pandas had increased their lead, Nikki Furukawa had a good look for the Pronghorns from just outside the Pandas penalty area but just missed the far post.
With 25 minutes remaining, the Pandas up the lead to 3-0. Aly Parth's long range shot bounced in front of the Pronghorns goal and up and over 'Horns keeper Stone.
Final stats had the Pandas with 11 shot attempts to the Pronghorns nine, while the Pronghorns had five corners to the Pandas three.
The Pronghorns will look to regroup tomorrow and look to end the regular season on a positive note, hosting the Mount Royal Cougars. Kick-off is slated for noon and will be streamed live on canadawest.tv. The Pandas will head to Calgary to conclude their season with a match up with the Calgary Dinos.