Box Score
Lethbridge – After playing more than 65 minutes of scoreless hockey, Mackenzie Gal played hero for the Lethbridge Pronghorns, lifting her team to a season opening double overtime win, 1-0 over the Calgary Dinos.
 
In the second overtime, Katelyn Breitkreuz forced a turnover at the Dino blue line and turned the puck up ice on a two-on-one. Breitkreuz fed the puck across to Gal, who lifted a shot over the shoulder of Dino goaltender Sarah Murray to give the Pronghorns the victory.

"Tonight was a great effort from all our players," said head coach Michell Janus. "We executed good habits and had great energy from our bench."

"Our team work well together and supported each other. We'll look to correct a few strategies to counter their defence and hope to score early tomorrow."
 
Both goaltenders were exceptional on the night, with 'Horns goaltender Alicia Anderson being the busier of the two, making 31 saves to record her third career shutout. Murray made 23 saves but some timely ones to keep the Pronghorns off the board.
 
Entering the new season both the Pronghorns and Dinos were looking to erase memories of missing the playoffs a season ago and began the new season tentatively, playing tight defense throughout the opening 20 minutes.
 
The Pronghorns held a slim 6-5 shot advantage after the opening frame that had few dangerous scoring chances. The best chance in the first came off the stick of Pronghorn Maddison Toppe, who beat Murray but not the iron.
 
In the second, the Dinos found their legs, hemming the Pronghorns in their own end for a good portion of the opening half of the period but Anderson was solid in the crease and Pronghorn defenders provided timely blocked shots to thwart the Dinos pressure.
 
Heading into the final frame, the Dinos flipped the shot clock in their favor, outshooting the Pronghorns 11-6 in the second and 16 to 12 overall.
 
With both teams looking to open the season with a win, tight checking returned but as the period went on each team had good looks to end the game before overtime.
 
Breitkreuz intercepted a Dino centering pass just inside her own end and raced away for a breakaway but Murray stayed with her deke to make the save. First-year forward Ashley McCabe collected the rebound but a Dinos defender forced her wide of the open net.
 
Next came Anderson's turn to hold the fort. Delaney Frey and Kira Makuk had chances right on the doorstep but Anderson sprawled to deny both of them. With three minutes left, Dino defender Laine Grace walked in the slot and blasted a shot but Anderson flashed the leather to make a spectacular glove save.
 
The first overtime also provided chances for both sides. Morgan Loroff had the best chance for the Dinos but her shot from the slot hit the post, while Oliva Alexander had the Pronghorns' best look but Murray made a stellar reaction save with her blocker.
 
Three-on-three second overtime was just as exciting as the first, with Breitkreuz having another in-close chance but fanned on the shot and Dino Holly Reuther having a breakaway to end it for her team but was not able to beat Anderson, setting up Gal's heroics with just over two minutes to play.
 
The Pronghorns and Dinos will be back at it tomorrow night in Calgary in the back half of the home-and-home series. Puck drops at 6:00pm at Father David Bauer. The game will be streamed live on http://canadawest.yaretv.com/