Eoin Colquhoun, Pronghorns Athletics
LETHBRIDGE – Facing one of the top teams in the Prairie Division, the Lethbridge Pronghorns limited the Calgary Dinos quality chances but the Dinos only needed one goal to extend their winning streak with a 1-0 win at the University Community Stadium in Lethbridge.
After dropping their season opener to division leading Alberta Pandas, the Dinos have now rattled off eight straight wins and improve to 8-1-0. The loss drops the Pronghorns record to 1-7-1 on the season.
Damiane Sawatzky scored the lone goal of the game, while Lauren Houghton picked up her conference leading seventh clean sheet, making three saves. Pronghorn keeper Hanna Quinn made three saves in the loss.
From the opening whistle, the visiting Dinos pushed forward into the Pronghorns defensive end but, the Pronghorns defence was able to hold off the Prairie Division second place Dinos in the early going.
Natalie Arnett had the first great chance for the Dinos but her chip shot just sailed over the crossbar, however, the Dinos would open the scoring a short time later.
Off a set piece just outside the Pronghorns penalty area, Amy Mikuska found Damiane Sawatzky just outside the six-yard box, who redirected the cross past Pronghorn keeper Hanna Quinn in the 21st minute.
At the half, shot attempts heavily favoured Dinos eight to one, with the Dinos finding the target three times, while the Pronghorns forced the Dinos keeper Lauren Houghton to make one save.
In the 51st minute, the Pronghorns had their most dangerous chance to tie the game. Nicole Stahl took a ball just inside the penalty area but she couldn't get off a clean shot and Houghton made a routine save.
The Dinos came right back and nearly doubled their lead off a corner kick. Mikuska curled the corner to the back post, finding Montana Leonard however her header just slid outside the post.
Leonard looked dangerous again only minutes later but her volley clanked of the crossbar and stayed out.
With the Dinos still pressing forward, sub Kelsie MacDonald came dangerously close to picking up the Dinos second goal of the game, narrowly missing at the far post.
Off their first corner of the game, Pronghorn Raeleen Vanden Dungen had a good look to tie the score, getting on the end of Nicole Stahl's corner, only to see it cleared off the line by a Dino defender.
With only seven minutes remaining the Pronghorns had another great look to tie the game. Senior Pronghorn forward Lindsay Amatto received a ball through the Dinos defence and while she eluded Houghton with her attempt, she couldn't find the back of the net.
At the final whistle, the Dinos finished with 14 shot attempts but only hit the net four times, while the Pronghorns had six shot attempts in the second half and finished the game with seven shot attempts, with three on goal.
The Pronghorns and Dinos will meet again tomorrow in Calgary for the back half of the home-and-home series, 4:30 PM at McMahon Stadium. Catch all the action live on www.canadawest.tv.
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Photo by: MPP Photograpy