Box Score Edmonton - With just 29 seconds to go in the third period on Saturday night at Clare Drake Arena in Edmonton, the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns women’s hockey team scored the game winning goal to end the University of Alberta Pandas’ unbeaten streak at seven games with a 2-1 victory.
Freshman Amy Helfrich scored her first career CIS goal for the Pandas on Saturday, with assists to Brandi Buss and Tess Houston, while rookie goaltender Lindsey Post made 18 saves in the loss. Houston finishes the weekend with three points after a two assist game on Friday when Alberta defeated Lethbridge 4-3 in OT.
Lethbridge sniper Kirsten Reeves scored both Pronghorn goals on Saturday, upping her team leading season totals to six goals and seven points on the season. Her six goals ties her for first in Canada West. Third-year goalie Crystal Patterson made 20 saves for the win.
The Pronghorns improve their record to 3-3-2, while the Pandas fall to 7-1-0. Alberta slips into second place in the standings, one point behind the 7-0-1 Calgary Dinos, while Lethbridge moves into fifth place.
After a scoreless first period, Reeves opened the scoring at 9:20 of the second when she beat Post. Megan Bailey, who had three points on Friday, picked up one assist, while Jenna-Marie Durnin drew the other.
Alberta leveled the score just 20 seconds later however when Helfrich notched her first career CIS goal.
The 1-1 score line held for the remainder of the period and for 19:31 of the third period as well. But, a late penalty call against the Pandas put Lethbridge on the power-play with less than a minute go, and with 29 seconds left in the game, Reeves, drove down the right wing, cut to the net, and slid a backhander through Post’s pads for the win. The power-play goal was just the second of the season for the Pronghorns.
Lethbridge now has won four of their last six games against the Pandas, dating back to the 2011-12 season.
Alberta returns to action next weekend when they travel to Calgary for a two-game series against the Dinos. Lethbridge, meanwhile, hosts the Manitoba Bisons next weekend.
