Written By Paul Cartledge, U of Alberta Sports Information

EDMONTON – Four goals in the first-period paved the way to a third-straight season-opening win by the University of Alberta Pandas over the University of Manitoba Bisons, the home team earning a 5-1 decision on Friday, October 4 night at Clare Drake Arena.

Senior forwards Jayden Skoye (one goal, two assists) and Katie Stewart (one goal, one assist) had multi-point nights for the Pandas, while sophomore Jessica Kampjes, third-year Alison Campbell, and fifth-year Montanna Noyes all netted singles.

Sophomore forward Cassandra Taylor scored the lone tally for the visitors.

On the game's first power-play, the Pandas struck quickly, Stewart tipping a point shot before the resulting scramble in front put the puck on Alberta defender Hannah Mousek's stick, the sophomore passing to Skoye on the open side to make it 1-0 at the 6:02 mark of the first period.

Only 24 seconds later, Kampjes doubled the lead on the rush, wristing a shot from the faceoff circle for the 2012-13 Canada West Rookie of the Year's first of the season.

Just under two minutes later after that, the Pandas scored again, Stewart firing a one-timer on a Skoye pass from the corner to give Alberta a 3-0 lead before the game was 10 minutes old.

Campbell increased the lead to four at the 13:22 mark of the opening frame when she cleaned up her own rebound in front of the Bison net to leave the visitors reeling.

Manitoba finished the first period with an 11-10 lead in shots but nothing to show for it on the scoreboard, Pandas netminder Michala Jeffries keeping them at bay until Taylor caught up to a loose puck for a breakaway from the Alberta blueline, the Landmark, Man. native roofing the puck in tight at the 6:25 mark of the second period to sway momentum to the road team.

Unfortunately, the momentum came to a complete halt midway through the middle frame when the two squads combined for six penalties in 1:29 and provided some rare but short-lived three-on-three action.

Nevertheless, the Pandas slowed things down even further in the final period with a stifling defence-first strategy, putting only three shots on net to Manitoba's seven, but still ending up ahead on the scoreboard with Noyes' short-handed empty-netter with 1:12 left on the clock.

Alberta finished the game at 1-8 on the man-advantage while the Bisons went 0-8.

The two teams meet again Saturday night at Clare Drake Arena, the puck dropping at 6:00 p.m. MT.