EDMONTON - Natalie Kieser equalized with less than a minute remaining, and then potted the overtime winner in an incredibly exciting 5-4 Alberta Pandas comeback victory over the Manitoba Bisons Friday night at Clare Drake Arena.
Kieser led a concerted Pandas effort in the latter half of the third period and overtime, as they blew a 3-1 lead early in the third but recovered to tie with 57 seconds left on a wrister from the Alberta captain. She then blasted home a one-timer on the powerplay to give the Pandas their 10th victory on the year. Reagan Yewdall, Jadynn Morden, and Abby Soyko were the other goal scorers for the home side, while Sara Kaziel had two assists. Mackenzie Dojahn made 19-of-23 stops for her seventh win of the year, as the Alberta netminder has settled in as a clear catalyst between the pipes.
Norah Collins was the hero for the visitors, scoring two goals in the game including the game-winner on the powerplay five minutes into the final frame. She was joined by Julia Bird and Jessie Haner in the goal column, while Alyssa Rasmuson recorded two assists. Manitoba was phenomenal in the early third, turning a 3-1 deficit into a 4-3 lead within five minutes and holding the lead until the very end. However, they were just unable to close it out at the end, allowing Kieser to snipe two past goalie Emily Shippam, who was otherwise fairly good stopping 20-of-25 of shots her.
The Bisons shot out of the gate quickly, with Norah Collins finding the back of the net just three minutes in off a weak side snipe from the right side. It was her sixth of the season, assists, which gave the visitors an early 1-0 lead. However, just as the Pandas first powerplay expired, Reagan Yewdall took a pass in stride from Hayleigh Craig and raced down the right boards for a coast-to-coast opportunity that she roofed over Emily Shippam's shoulder for a phenomenal game-tying goal. It was her fourth of the season and knotted the game at one midway through the frame. Manitoba slides to 8-9-6 with the loss, and sit two points out of a playoff spot in the East.
Jadynn Morden started the scoring eight minutes into the second when she stole a puck inside the blue line and unloaded an absolute rocket upstairs for her sixth of the season to give the Pandas a 2-1 lead. Then, with just two minutes remaining in the period, Abby Soyko scored off a Natalie Kieser rebound for her team-leading eighth of the year to give the Pandas a 3-1 advantage headed into the final period.
However, the Bisons had to have had an inspirational intermission as they seized the game back with two quick goals in the two minutes of the third. It was first Julia Bird, scoring her team-leading ninth on a beautiful backhand to cut the deficit to just one. One minute later, Jessie Haner joined her on the scoresheet as she beat Mackenzie Dojahn off a cross-crease pass from Brenna Nicol to knot the game at three. Just three minutes later, with momentum in hand, the league's second-best powerplay went to work and found paydirt off the stick of Collins, who scored her second of the game to give the Bisons their first lead since early in the first.
Alberta kept mounting pressure as the third went on however, eventually leading to some grade-A chances with Dojahn pulled and a minute left in the period. Then, Sara Kaziel found Kieser on a breakout and the Alberta captain wristed an equalizer glove-side with 57 seconds remaining for her sixth of the season, sending this one to overtime.
The Pandas momentum would continue to carry into the extra frame, as they dominated play leading to another powerplay opportunity with just three minutes remaining in the frame. Then, Holly Magnus ripped a cross-ice pass to a wide-open Kieser, who smashed home a one-timer to lead the hosts to a phenomenal win.
The squads have their final regular season matchup of the year tomorrow, with puck drop happening at 5:00 PM MST at Clare Drake.
