Box Score
Lethbridge – Led by Breanna Frasca and Jenna-Marie Durnin, the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns posted an impressive 5-1 win, Saturday night, over the ninth ranked University of Regina Cougars in the second of two back-to-back weekend games.
Lethbridge goals were scored by Jasmine Teske, Jocelyn Sabourin, Breanna Frasca and Jenna-Marie Durnin, who netted two on the night.
Paige Wheeler scored the lone goal for the Cougars.
Crystal Patterson started in net for the ‘Horns and turned aside 35 of the 36 shots she faced while Regina’s Jennifer Schmidt stopped 29 of 33.
Desperately seeking a weekend split versus the visiting Cougars, the Pronghorns came out strong in the opening minutes of play, eager to put one past Regina’s Schmidt after a tough 2-1 loss Friday night, where the Cougars’ net-minder stood tall between the pipes to secure her team the win.
A quick offensive rush for the home team opened the scoring at 6:25. Durnin’s first of the night, a quick wrister from the slot, from Van Buskirk and Frasca, bounced off Schmidt and then quickly off another body and in.
The ‘Horns continued to keep pressure on the Cougars as the opening frame drew to a close but neither team would manage to hit the scoreboard again before the first intermission. Shots remained close through one but slightly favoured the Cougars, 9-8.
With both teams trading penalties in the second, the game’s intensity was increasing steadily and scoring chances were coming hard and fast.
After nearly two minutes of 4-on-4, each team regained full strength and Lethbridge pushed hard into the Cougars end. With a slap shot from just inside the blue line, rookie Jocelyn Sabourin netted her first CIS goal, widening the ‘Horns lead to two. Her hard shot soared through traffic and found the back of the net past a screened and unsuspecting Schmidt.
As the hometown ‘Horns continued to heat up, Teske added a third goal, her first of the season, from Minor and Reeves.. A flurry of bodies in front of the net saw both the ‘Horns and the Cougars searching for the loose puck but Teske’s quick stick got a piece of it and she buried it past Schmidt.
The Cougars tried to answer back, unloading a barrage of shots on Patterson, but were skillfully turned aside by the keeper.
And it didn’t stop there. With just over a minute remaining in the second, a turnover just in front of the Regina goal allowed Durnin to notch her second of the night, unassisted, placing the puck high glove side.
Despite heading into the second intermission with a substantial lead on the score sheet, the ‘Horns would have to focus their efforts on smart defensive tactics as shots on net through two sat deadlocked at 26-26.
Regina netted their first marker of the game in the early minutes of the third. Alexis Larson’s shot from the circle was turned aside by Patterson but Wheeler quickly secured the rebound and managed to beat the Lethbridge keeper, spoiling her chance at a shut-out.
Frasca would net a marker of her own, her third point of the night, into a empty net, at 18:48 giving the ‘Horns a 5-1 win to split the weekend series.
With this win the Pronghorns improve to 6-9-3 (CW) while the Cougars sit at 13-5-0 (CW). The ‘Horns travel to Vancouver next weekend to take on the UBC Thunderbirds at the Doug Mitchell Sports Centre and in a battle for the top spot in Canada West, the Cougars return home to host the U of C Dinos.
