EDMONTON – Rookie Natalie Kieser potted a hat-trick as the Alberta Pandas cruised past the MacEwan Griffins 4-0 on Friday night at Clare Drake Arena.

It was the second win in as many games for the Pandas (6-4-1), after dropping four straight beforehand, including two straight on a trip to Vancouver to face the UBC Thunderbirds.

For MacEwan (5-6-0), 4-1 in their previous five, it was their first loss in nearly a month.
The Pandas retain their unbeaten record against MacEwan across all competitions, moving to an impressive 23-0 all-time against the Griffins.

MacEwan netminder Natalie Bender was the busier of the two starters, turning aside 19 out of 23 shots, while Alberta goalie Halle Oswald had a relatively quiet night stopping all 10 MacEwan shots for her first shutout of the year.

Second-year forward Peyton Laumbach also scored in the third period.

With two assists second-year forward Madison Willan extends her Alberta scoring lead to 9 points in 11 Canada West games, while Laumbach also paces the Pandas in goals at six.

Kieser's two goals sit her at three total in her debut season, good for 4^th in the rookie scoring race.

The first period was as close a frame as you will see all year. You could fit the number of stoppages on your hand, the shots finished 5-4 in favor of the Pandas, and if faceoffs were measured, I am sure they would have been identical as well. Both teams played continuous five-on-five for essentially the whole period in what was an impressive display of fitness from the athletes.

If the first frame was a marathon, the second was a sprint. More stoppages meant fresher legs, and with-it better-quality chances for both sides. It was an even period up until the midway mark, when Willan found Kieser unoccupied in front of the net and slid a backhand pass which Kieser buried past Bender for the first score of the game.

Later in the period, Kieser called her own number on a three-on-one and sniped a top shelf goal which gave the Pandas a 2-0 lead headed into the last frame.

It was Laumbach who furthered the lead early in the third period, off a pass from Willan in what was a nice placement of a snapshot.

Finally, Kieser scored her hat-trick goal late in the third past a sprawling Bender to confirm the Pandas win.

The Pandas and Griffins are back in action tomorrow night, with MacEwan hosting the game. It will be the last game for both teams before the winter break.