EDMONTON - Abby Soyko scored twice and Sara Kazeil potted the game-winner with 55 seconds left as the Alberta Pandas won an absolute classic 3-2 against the rival MacEwan Griffins Saturday evening at Clare Drake Arena.
It was a thrilling game, with enough back-and-forth chances to make both teams happy with their effort. However, the Pandas offensive zone advantage proved just too much for the Griffins to overcome, as they were outshot 30-16 on the day. MacEwan goaltender Lindsay Johnson was stellar all day, as she turned aside 27 of 30 total shots and made a few highlight-reel stops to keep her team in it. Soyko was also phenomenal, unloading two laser wristshots for goals in this one, setting the table for a big offensive season for the fourth-year forward.
Alberta moves to 2-0-2 on the young season, while the Griffins slide to 0-4-0 but can take some real positives against this showing on the road.
The festivities got off to a hot start in the first period, as Abby Soyko took a wheel route to the slot and let a wicked wrist shot go that beat Johnson to her blocker-side for the first goal of the game and an early Alberta lead. While the Pandas would maintain momentum and pressure, MacEwan showed slow signs of improvement, where with seven minutes left in the frame Kori Paterson cut in on the red line from the right side and was able to elude a Pandas defenceman and Rey to shove the puck five-hole for her first of the year and a tie game, which is where we would be at the first intermission.
The second period saw phenomenal performances from Johnson and the Griffins. Sasha Malenfant opened the scoring five minutes in after the Pandas turned it over to Joie Simon, who chipped in a streaking Malenfant who promptly sniped it top shelf for her first of the year, and a 2-1 visitor lead. The rest of the period was more-or-less dominated by the Pandas, who peppered 14 shots on Johnson, but she turned them all aside, even surviving a particularly stress-inducing powerplay late in the frame.
Alberta struck first in the third just three minutes in when Soyko broke into the zone on the right side and cut towards the slot, unleashing a strong wrist shot that beat Johnson glove-side for her second of the game to knot the game at two. However, the hosts took two penalties in the frame that generated a ton of momentum for MacEwan, but Rey was perfect in the third, stopping all six shots her way. Finally, a late powerplay set the Pandas up with a golden opportunity to take the lead, and they did not let it slip. Emma Power would slide a pass over to Sara Kazeil on the blue line, who let a strong shot rip that found its way through traffic in front to the top shelf with 55 seconds left to give the Pandas a 3-2 lead, one they would hold on to for the victory.
The Pandas head west next weekend to face the UBC Thunderbirds in a Canada West Finals rematch, while the Griffins have a home-and-home series with the MRU Cougars.
