CALGARY – A late push from the Regina Cougars was not enough to overcome a two goal deficit to the Calgary Dinos as the Dinos take it 2-1. Calgary wins on the strength of a two point effort from midfielder Lindsay Burrowes.
The Dinos came flying out of the gate, something they have had troubles with this season, as they outshot the Cougars 13-2 in the opening half. Amongst those shots, forward Cayla Scavo had one goal called back on an offside call, but made her next opportunity count. Taking the assist from Burrowes, Scavo put it past Regina goaltender Michelle Anderson in the 34th minute giving Calgary the lead.
The second half saw the offensive pressure die down for the Dinos, however on a free kick attempt midway through the frame, Burrowes put a spectacular bending kick past Anderson, which turned out to be the game winner.
Late pressure by the Regina Cougars paid off for forward Tegan Koroluk, who was excellent for the Cougars all afternoon. After beating Calgary goaltender Kristen Barton in the 80th minute to shave the Calgary lead, she nearly found the game tying goal in injury time. Confusion in front of the net had Barton out of position and Koroluk with an empty net in front of her. However as her shot dribbled harmlessly past the goal, the Dinos and their fans shared a sigh of relief.
While Dinos coach Robin Slot would have rather avoided the anxious last minutes of the game, he was happy with his team's effort.
“We outplayed them for the majority of the game, but we let the game get too close at the end. It was definitely nervous coming down the stretch,” said Slot. “We needed the three points and we got it, so I'm happy. Overall I was really pleased with how the weekend went.”
“Lindsay (Burrowes), Tessa (Miller), and Caitlin (Milne) all are playing great soccer lately and the whole team is getting better each week. It's nice that next weekend we'll at least be in control of our own destiny,” continued Coach Slot.
Burrowes, who has been a force for the Dinos as of late, continued her strong play with a goal and an assist. A goal from Cayla Scavo is encouraging for the Dinos, as they have been looking for more offensive pressure from their team. Scavo had 4 shots on goal and was continually a factor in front of the Cougars net.
Tegan Koroluk and Michelle Anderson were the major factors for the Cougars, who both made the game interesting near the end. Anderson in particular sent numerous Calgary chances to the wayside, continually keeping her team in the game.
Looking forward for the Cougars, they get two final chances at their first victory as they round out their season at home against Trinity Western and Fraser Valley next weekend.
After a strong weekend effort from the Dinos, they move on to Edmonton next week in a good position as they round out the season. Facing both the Alberta Pandas and the Saskatchewan Huskies, two wins will guarantee them a playoff spot.
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