Box Score Lethbridge – The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns, facing off against the seventh seeded University of Alberta Pandas and were unable to come back from a three goal deficit, dropping the first of a two-game weekend series, 5-2, Friday night at Nicholas Sheran Arena.
 
Jessica Kampjes earned two goals for the Pandas, while Riana Magee, Lindsay Cunningham, and Amy Helfrich each earned individual markers. Amy Van Buskirk and Megan Bailey responded for the Pronghorns.
 
Crystal Patterson started in net for Lethbridge, facing 27 shots. Pandas’ Michala Jeffries turned aside 13 of the 15 shots she faced.
 
An early ‘Horns power play allowed the home team to dictate the pace of the game early. Kirsten Reeves and Megan Bailey each had great chances in close but were unable to beat Jeffries. As the Pandas penalty expired, Amy Van Buskirk unloaded a blast from the point, from Bailey and Durnin that earned her the game’s first goal.
 
The Pandas responded quickly. Jessica Kampjes, from Karla Bourke, earned her seventh marker of the season, at 10:33, to even the score at ones.
 
With Reeves sent to the box for a hooking penalty, less than 30 seconds into the second frame, the Pandas had a chance to start things off with a power play of their own. Despite lots of pressure in around the Lethbridge net, it would take a full strength unit to gain the lead. Helfrich answered the call for Alberta at 5:13. Her well-placed wrister found an opening high, top shelf, soaring overtop Patterson’s glove-side shoulder.
 
The ‘Horns made the most of another power play effort midway through the second. A scramble in front of Jeffries had players from both teams desperately trying to get a piece of the puck. ‘Horns third-year forward Megan Bailey was credited with the equalizing goal, at 12:48, corralling the puck and pushing it, through the legs of the Alberta goaltender.
 
In the dying seconds of the frame, Magee fired a hard slap shot from just inside the blue line that was swiftly denied but Kampjes made the most of a juicy rebound and notched her second of the night, putting her team ahead, 3-2, a lead the Pandas would never reliquish.
 
A quick pass from Tess Houston, from behind the net, found Cunningham in prime scoring position on the doorstep to up the Pandas lead to two in the third. She quickly buried the puck past an unsuspecting Patterson, unable to get into position.
 
Minutes later, the Pandas would strike again, putting the game out of reach, this time with another rocket from Magee that soared high and into the net.
With this win the Pandas improve to 14-6-1 while the Pronghorns fall to 6-12-3. Game two of the weekends series goes tomorrow night at Nicholas Sheran Arena. Game time is set for 7pm and the game will also be streaming live on www.canadawest.tv