LETHBRIDGE – For the third time in four tries, the Lethbridge Pronghorn women's rugby team laid claim to the Suggitt Cup, sweeping the two-game series with the Alberta Pandas with a 24-3 victory in Edmonton Saturday afternoon.
 
With the win the Pronghorn improve to 2-1-0 on the season and the loss leaves the Pandas winless at 0-4-0.
 
During the opening weekend of the Canada West rugby season, the Pronghorn dominated the Pandas 53-7 to take a strangle hold of the Suggitt Cup with today's game remaining.
 
"Today was a very tightly contested game, particularly in the opening half," said first-year Head Coach Graeme Moffat. "Pandas were much improved from the squad that we faced in September."
 
"We received strong performances from Abby Neudorf and Rebecca Powell in the midfield today, which proved crucial in the end and Gwen Fillinger rounded off a solid performance with a pair of tries."
 
In a tight opening half, third-year flanker Gwen Fillinger opened the scoring for the Pronghorns in the 15^th minute, but the Pandas would respond only five minutes later.
 
Off a Pronghorn penalty, Kate Manning kicked a penalty goal to cut the Pronghorns lead to 5-3 with 20 minute to play in the opening half. However, that would be all the scoring in the opening 40 minutes.
 
Fillinger widened the Pronghorn lead 13 minutes into the second half with her second try of the match and with Caitlin Sears' conversion, the Pronghorn led 12-3.
 
Second-year Pronghorn Brooklyn Perry got into the action in the 71^st minute with a try of her own. Sears made the convert to push the score to 19-3, while Mackenzie Hamm rounded out the scoring with a try in the 75^th minute.
 
The Pronghorns will get another crack at the Calgary Dinos next Friday at the University Community stadium in Lethbridge. The Dinos upended the Pronghorn last Friday in Calgary 12-6.
 
             1     2     F
ALB -    3     0    3
LET -     5    19   24
 
Scoring Summary
 
First Half
 
15' LET– Gwen Fillinger - Try; 5-0 LET
20' ALB – Kate Manning - penalty goal; 5-3 LET
 
Second Half
 
53' LET - Gwen Fillinger - Try (Conversion – Caitlin Sears); 12-3 LET
71' LET – Brooklyn Perry – Try (Conversion - Caitlin Sears); 19-3 LET
75' LET – Mackenzie Hamm - Try; 24-3 LET