EDMONTON - Pandas third-year flyhalf Kate Manning provided some heroics with a walk-off penalty goal in injury time to earn the Pandas a 15-14 victory in the Canada West Third Place game against the Calgary Dinos Sunday morning at Foote Field.
The Pandas finish up their best season in CW play since 2016, while the Dinos finish the year in fourth place. The game also snaps a 13-game losing streak to the Dinos dating back to October 2014.
The Dinos were led by fifth-year Taejah Thompson who converted three penalty goals to account for nine of Calgary's 14 points.
The Dinos got off to a fast start, with Thompson converting a penalty goal from 20 metres out to put the visitors up 3-0 in the seventh minute.
While the Dinos controlled large swaths of the field position battle in the first half, the Pandas would strike back in the 30th minute thanks to good build up play and an unconverted try by second-year Maria Sawiak down the left flank.
Thompson would strike again in the 38th minute with a 20 yard penalty goal to put the Dinos up 6-5 which would stand into the break.
The first half was largely a field position battle, with both teams struggling to gain big plays due in part to the chilly weather conditions at Foote Field.
The teams would come out of the half energised and on the attack; five minutes in Thompson would kick yet another penalty goal to put the Dinos up 9-5. The lead would not stand for long however, as the Pandas would put together a good drive a minute later that would end with third-year prop Bella Cuciz punching in a try near centre that would be converted to put the Pandas up 12-10.
The game would stay locked at that score until Dinos third-year Smith intercepted a lineout pass in the 75th minute and scampered 55 yards for the try down the left sideline. It put the Dinos up 14-12 with five minutes to play in the game.
Enter Manning; after a Dinos penalty in injury time, the Pandas number 10 had the opportunity to win the game for the home side with a 20 yard penalty goal. She would make no mistake through the uprights and walk-off the Dinos with a final score of 15-14.
SCORING SUMMARY
1 2 F
CGY 6 8 14
ALB 5 10 15
7' - CGY Penalty Goal - #10 Taejah Thompson; 3-0 CGY
30' - ALB Try - #13 Maria Sawiak (Convert Missed); 5-3 ALB
38' - CGY Penalty Goal - #10 Taejah Thompson; 6-5 CGY
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45' - CGY Penalty Goal - #10 Taejah Thompson; 9-5 CGY
46' - ALB Try - #1 Bella Cuciz (#10 Kate Manning Convert); 12-9 ALB
75' - CGY Try -#4 Ashlynn Smith (Convert Missed); 14-12 CGY
80' - ALB Penalty Goal - #10 Kate Manning; 15-14 ALB
