Box Score WINNIPEG – Two first-half goals set the Alberta Pandas up for success early in the match, as they blazed past the Manitoba Bisons 2-1 in the blistering heat at Investors Group Field Saturday afternoon. 
 
Manitoba was led by forward, Janelle Chomini, with one goal and two shots on net, bringing the energy and setting the pace for her fellow teammates when they needed it the most.
 
Alberta's Adrienne Poulin carried the Pandas to a comfortable 2-0 lead in the first – finding the back of the net by capitalizing on a beautiful through ball into the box during the 26^thminute, and a crafty touch up close from a long cross just moments before halftime.
 
The Bisons best chance of the first half came from forward Chomini, as she beat two defenders and launched a bullet from the top of the box that was beautifully stuffed by Alberta's goalkeeper, KC Ledgerwood. Overall, Manitoba had a handful of chances, including a few in the opening ten minutes but none found the back of the net.
 
The Bisons would eventually get on the board in the second half, as Chomini got another look at goal, and beat her defender one-on-one to slot the ball down low using her opposite foot in the 75^th minute. 
 
Moments later, Bisons forward Camila Goldszstein would be a hair length away from an equalizer, as she narrowly missed the crossbar on a second-chance play. 

"I loved the response of the team. I loved how we created chances," noted head coach Vanessa Martinez-Lagunas of the team's second half pressure.

"We need to be more lethal. If you look at the whole game, even in the first half, in the first ten minutes we could have been leading 2-0. We need to keep working on finishing, we're not done on that. We're creating the chances but we need to create more. If we score those chances, the game is a different story."
 
Alberta would continue to pressure Manitoba throughout the second however, exploiting holes in the defence to get a few more shots on net, which ultimately secured them the win. 
 
Manitoba returns to the action tomorrow afternoon against MacEwan at 1 pm.