EDMONTON - Fifth-year Wanda Czebreszuk assisted on two goals, including a game-tying effort from Makenna Van der Veen as the Alberta Pandas pulled out a 3-3 wild draw against the MacEwan Griffins Saturday afternoon at Foote Field.

It was a back-and-forth and exciting draw on what was a somewhat miserable Alberta day, spitting rain and 7 degrees out with winds gusting to 40 km/h, which made the offensive game all the more surprising. The Griffins were first to strike with a quick two in the first 15 minutes of the game, but the Pandas responded in kind with two more before the half to knot it up. They would trade goals late in the first and early in the second half as this one, despite an exciting last twenty, would end up in a draw.

Czebreszuk was the leading point getter for the Pandas, who saw goals from Kelli Haffie    Makenna Van der Veen, and Tara Simonot, while the Griffins were paced by two assists from Brynn Hobal, and goals from Raeghan McCarthy, Sophie Lavallee, and Ella Fownes.

With the draw, Alberta moves to 4-5-4 on the year and had unfortunately been eliminated from playoff contention before the first kick. The Griffins record sits at 8-3-2, a missed opportunity to tie the second-place MRU Cougars and potentially be in line to host the first round of the playoffs.

The playoff-bound Griffins wasted no time getting on the board in this one, as just ten minutes into the contest Hobal was able to find Lavallee down the left side who hit a good ball past the graduating Wynn for her fifth of the year, and a 1-0 early lead for the visitors. Then just three minutes later, the Pandas broke down defensively in their own zone, and a failed clearance found the foot of Hobal who again tee'd up a perfect pass to McCarthy who hit a great strike past Autumyn Wynn for her team-leading sixth of the year to put the Griffins up two.

However, the Pandas seniors would not quit on their own appreciation day, as in the 20th-minute Tara Simonot would bully a Griffin defender off the ball on the right flank, then throw a hail mary shot on net that fooled Alexander, the MacEwan keeper, for her third of the season and pulled Alberta back into the game. Five minutes later, graduating fifth-year Kelli Haffe would throw in an inswinger from the right side that seemed to catch a bit of the gusting headwind and carry to the top shelf of the Griffin net, for a miraculous and phenomenal strike and her second goal of the season, one that would knot the game at two.

However, in the additional minute of stoppage time at the half, Griffins pressure in the Pandas end caused some breakdowns, and an Ella Fownes heave on net found its way to the back of the net to let MacEwan take a 3-2 lead into the break.

The Pandas were the first to break through on a worsening half weather-wise, and it was a phenomenal left-footed volley from Makenna Van der Veen on a Wanda Czebreszuk cross that made it three-all in the 61st-minute.

The teams finish up the regular season next week with another meeting on Saturday, this time with the Griffins playing host. 

The graduating Pandas honoured in this one, and leaving the program after next Saturday's game include: Robyn Alexandruk, Kelli Haffie, Michelle Chakanyuka, Mila Van der Veen, Juliana Mackown, Makenna Van der Veen, Tara Simonot, Alia Temple, Wanda Czebreszuk, Mimi Vignjevic, Emily Duxbury, Abby Kotyk, and Autumn Wynn.