EDMONTON – An offensive explosion in the second half led the University of Alberta Pandas to a 4-1 decision, halting the University of Manitoba Bisons' undefeated streak at four games, while Alberta extended their own to three, Saturday afternoon at Foote Field.
Third-year forward Georgia Tansley netted a pair of goals, including the game-winner, while senior midfielder Aly Parth recorded a goal and an assist. Third-year defender Brooke Lang rounded out the home team scoring, Alberta improving to 4-1-3.
Sophomore midfielder
Nicole Davis tallied the lone goal for the visitors, the Bisons now falling to 4-4-1 on the season.
With very few offensive chances in the first half, a low-scoring game seemed likely before senior forward Nicole Palladino sent Tansley down the far side of the pitch, the Calgary native going top shelf for her first of the season in the 53rd minute.
Rookie defender Jordan Vanderveen found Tansley all alone in the 62nd minute, a minor deflection by a Bison defender having no effect on the Vanderveen cross before Tansley fired her second goal to the same spot as the first, doubling the Pandas' lead to 2-0.
She almost had a hat trick three minutes later with a quick shot on the Manitoba net but rookie netminder
Anna Biebrich held her ground. Within the same minute, a turnover by Alberta's Megan Duro led to first-year rearguard
Stefanie Young sending Davis in all alone, deking out goalkeeper Ashley Turner before putting the ball into the wide open net and cutting the deficit to 2-1.
Yet a free kick in the 78th minute by Aly Parth restored the two-goal lead, her kick from 30 yards out going through Biebrich's hands and into the net.
A late goalie switch by Manitoba did not stop the offensive Panda charge either, sophomore 'keeper
Karina Bagi fending off another Parth free kick in the 85th minute, attempting to punch the ball over the net, only to have it bounce back into play where Lang tapped it in to finish off the game's scoring.
The Bisons head to the other side of Edmonton to play the MacEwan Griffins on Sunday while the Pandas host the Winnipeg Wesmen the same day, both games starting at noon MT.
