EDMONTON - Madison Willan scored twice and added an assist in her final regular season game as the Alberta Pandas finished up their season with a 4-1 victory over the Manitoba Bisons Saturday afternoon at Clare Drake.

The U SPORTS #3 Pandas wrap up a phenomenal season with coach Howie Draper back behind the bench, as with the win they finish with a record of 24-3-1, good for first place in the East Division. They have also won 13 straight, and are an unbelievable 19-0-1 in their last 20 games. They will face the winner of the East 3 v. West 2 quarterfinal, which at the moment is filled by Regina and Mount Royal, respectively.

Willan's three-point effort was supplanted by another good goaltending performance from Gracie Glover, who leads the league in GAA and SV%. She stopped 17 of 18 Bisons shots, and was the best penalty killer on a day where Manitoba was on the powerplay three times. Ryann Perrett and Hayleigh Craig were the other scorers for the Pandas, who did all their damage in the first period.

The Bisons (13-10-2) have already clinched their spot regardless of the loss, but will continue to have to fend off third-place Regina, who is four points behind them with two games remaining. Julia Bilous scored her first career goal in the loss, while netminder Paige Fischer was extremely effective in relief, putting aside all 17 Pandas shots she faced.

The second-highest scoring offence in the Canada West wasted no time in a stellar first period. Willan lifted one over the pad of Emily Shippam on the first shot just a minute and a half into the game for her seventh of the season for an early 1-0 lead. Just over a minute later, Perrett found some open ice down the left wing and beat Shippam short-side for her sixth, and Willan immediately capitalized on a pass form behind the net for her second of the game and after a whirlwind of activity the Bisons found themselves in a 3-0 hole on the first three shots of the game. A timeout stabilized things for the rest of the period where Manitoba fired seven shots on Glover, all of which were parried aside. However, with ten seconds left in the frame Craig potted her fourth of the year to head into the second period up 4-0.

Manitoba straightened out in the second frame, as they outshot the Pandas 9-8 and 
Julia Bilous scored her first career CW goal midway through the frame as the Bisons recaptured some momentum headed into the final frame, where a fairly non-eventful final 20 wrapped up a 4-1 win for Alberta.

It was Senior Appreciation Day at the rink as the Pandas said goodbye to six graduating players: Willan, Taylor Anker, Payton Laumbach, Brooklyn Tews, Ally Reich, and Izzy Lajoie. It is a bittersweet farewell for some strong program players, as between them they recorded an astounding 802 regular season and postseason games, 125 goals, and 360 points.

Alberta has a lengthy two-week layoff until the first game of the semifinals, while Manitoba wraps their regular season up back home against the Saskatchewan Huskies.