Daniela Garcia Orellana; Dinos Communications

CALGARY – A solid second-half performance lifted the University of Calgary Dinos to their ninth consecutive win, a 2-0 decision over the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, Friday evening at McMahon Stadium.

The win moves the Dinos to 9-1-0 on the season, while Lethbridge falls to 1-8-1. It's just the third time in program history the Dinos have won nine games in a season, and they have four games left looking to win a 10th for the first time ever.

Just as they had in Thursday night's 1-0 win at Lethbridge, the Dinos carried the majority of the play, sending 15 shots toward the Pronghorns' goal and forcing 'keeper Chelsey Galbraith to make six saves. Lethbridge managed just five shots toward the goal, only one of which found the target.

After a scoreless first half, the second half of the game started to pick up. Calgary finally broke through the Lethbridge defence the 66th minute when Amy Mikuska's corner kick deflected off the 'Horns and out to Montana Leonard, who buried a strike from just outside the 18-yard box to give the Dinos a 1-0 lead.

Just 10 minutes later, Jordan Smith sent a cross toward a streaking Maddison Fritze, but a Lethbridge defender intercepted it and put it behind Galbraith for an own goal, making it 2-0 Calgary.

"It was a good team effort," said Dinos Head Coach Troye Flannery. "Montana Leonard scored an absolute cracker of a goal. There's a lot of good moments, we passed the ball around well at times. It was another professional performance, but I would still like us to play with a little more intent.

"Job done, six-point weekend, two clean sheets, and we just want to keep this thing going."

Lauren Houghton had to make just one save on the day, and that one was a beauty in the 35th minute, snatching an outside shot by Lethbridge's Claire Joyce as it was headed to the top corner. The shutout was Houghton's eighth on the season and extends the Dinos' streak to 478 minutes of game play without allowing a goal

Calgary remains home next weekend to face UNBC and MacEwan as the Dinos look to sew up home field advantage in the first round of the playoffs, while Lethbridge will face those same two teams in reverse order next week.

-UC-

Photo by David Moll