EDMONTON – In another defence-first effort, the No.10
University of Alberta Pandas earned their fourth-straight shutout
with a 1-0 result over the Mount Royal University Cougars, Saturday
afternoon at Foote Field.
Lifting the Pandas to victory was third-year defender Madeline
Smith-Ackerl's goal, aided by senior netminder Kelti Biggs'
performance in net, making saves when it mattered to notch her 39th
career conference win, tying her for second in the Canada West
record books with Victoria's Stephanie Parker (2008-12).
On the Mount Royal side of the pitch, rookie goaltender Meghan
Prudhomme made eight saves in the loss, her first action of the
season.
Victory eluding Alberta in their last weekend at home, the Pandas
applied pressure early and often, forcing Prudhomme to be at her
best while sophomore midfielder Kristen Livingstone, fourth-year
midfielder Maggie Zacsko, and fourth-year Jessie Candlish all took
multiple shots on the Cougar net.
Every shot got turned away by the Calgary native, including a
sharp, curving strike by third-year forward Paula Dadensky in the
28th minute that became a highlight reel stop for the young
'keeper.
Yet Biggs made her own great save just before halftime, with
second-year midfielder Kennedy Paonessa just outside the six-yard
box and lining up a top-shelf tally before the Alberta 'tender kept
the game scoreless heading into the locker rooms.
On a seemingly harmless play, and her only shot of the game,
Smith-Ackerl put a shot on goal from 25 yards out, the ball
bouncing just in front of Prudhomme to elude her grasp before
hitting the back of the net in the 58th minute for the 1-0 Pandas
lead.
Under pressure of enduring their third-straight loss, Mount Royal
tried to respond but found themselves stymied by the best defence
in the conference, Alberta keeping the Cougars to the perimeter or
forcing them offside.
Kristen Livingstone had one last chance to salt the game away for
the home team, but Prudhomme stopped the Victoria, B.C. native in
tight with another great save in the 82nd minute.
Sunday features the rematch between the two provincial rivals in
the two-game weekend series, game time going at 12:00 p.m. MT.