EDMONTON – While they were able to take the lead on two different occasions in the first half, the Alberta Pandas (1-4) were unable to keep that momentum going as they fell 62-31 to the UBC Thunderbirds (3-1).
Mayeling Henry Rodriguez scored a pair of tries for the home team, while Kate Alcock made all four of her convert attempts in addition to a penalty kick, but the T-Birds put forth an offensive surge in the second half to pull away for the win.
The scoring started almost immediately, with the visitors striking within the first three minutes when Sara Tehrani took the ball from a scrum and wheeled around to the outside, freezing the defence with a well-timed fake pass to give her the space needed to race into the try zone.
The Pandas struck right back, with a powerful run forward by Kaitlin Tetteh-Wayoe setting up a series of goal line pushes that eventually resulted in Henry Rodriguez squeezing the ball over the line for the try. That lead only lasted for about eight minutes, however, before Alexis Dobson burst through the middle of the Alberta defensive line for the score. Sarah MacPherson's convert made it a five-point lead once again.
Alberta still had an upset on their mind, and for the second time in the first half Henry Rodriguez scored a try to put her team in front. That came after a lung-busting run from Anéla Hébert that took the ball from a lineout deep in the Pandas' end all the way down to the UBC five-yard line.
Alcock's penalty kick temporarily put her team up by five, their largest lead of the match, before Belle Rousseau scored to tie things up at 17 points apiece heading into halftime.
After putting a scare into the defending national champs in the opening 40 minutes, the Pandas were unfortunately unable to keep a similar scoreline in the second half as it was UBC who struck first with seven points from a MacPherson try and convert combo. Saylor Pickrell then doubled the advantage five minutes later with a try down the right sideline, followed by one from Adia Pye just a few minutes after that, giving the Thunderbirds some breathing room.
The high-scoring second half continued with some strong forward play from Alberta landing their first try since the break through substitute Cassandra Schau. MacPherson then answered back just two minutes later to make it a total of 35 points scored between the two teams in the first 25 minutes of the second half.
A trio of late tries from Rousseau, Pickrell and Poppy-Anne Elcock finished off UBC's side of the scoring, before Ava Lamanna ended the match with a try of her own on the final play before the whistle.
The Pandas now have just one match remaining in the regular season. They'll take on Lethbridge at home on Friday, October 16.
Scoring Summary
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1
|
2
|
F
|
|
ALB
|
17
|
14
|
31
|
|
UBC
|
17
|
45
|
62
|
First Half
3' UBC - #9 Sara Tehrani Try (Convert Missed) 5-0 UBC
9' ALB - #16 Mayeling Henry Rodriguez Try (#15 Kate Alcock Convert) 7-5 ALB
17' UBC - #1 Alexis Dobson Try (#15 Sarah MacPherson Convert) 12-7 UBC
29' ALB - #16 Mayeling Henry Rodriguez Try (#15 Kate Alcock Convert) 14-12 ALB
34' ALB - #15 Kate Alcock Penalty Kick - 17-12 ALB
38' UBC - #13 Belle Rousseau Try (Convert Missed) 17-17
Second Half
47' UBC - #15 Sarah MacPherson Try (#15 Sarah MacPherson Convert) 24-17 UBC
52' UBC - #11 Saylor Pickrell Try (#15 Sarah MacPherson Convert) 31-17 UBC
56' UBC - #14 Adia Pye Try (#15 Sarah MacPherson Convert) 38-17 UBC
62' ALB - #17 Cassandra Schau Try (#15 Kate Alcock Convert) 38-24 UBC
64' UBC - #15 Sarah MacPherson Try (#19 Maya Nowotny Convert) 45-24 UBC
74' UBC - #13 Belle Rousseau Try (#19 Maya Nowotny Convert) 52-24 UBC
77' UBC - #11 Saylor Pickrell Try (Convert Missed) 57-24 UBC
80' UBC - #21 Poppy-Anne Elcock Try (Convert Missed) 62-24 UBC
80' ALB - #4 Ava Lamanna Try (#15 Kate Alcock Convert) 62-31 UBC
