CALGARY – The University of Alberta Pandas field hockey team managed to split its weekend series against the University of Calgary Dinos with a 4-2 win Sunday on the back of a hat-trick from Jacqueline Trautman.

Like their encounter Saturday afternoon, the Dinos came out strong and drew first blood on the Pandas with a goal off of a short corner. Kaitlyn Longworth scored the goal at 11:02 after receiving the ball off the short corner and proceeding to snap it at the lower left corner of the Pandas net, evading diving Alberta goaltender Tory Spencer by inches.

Also like Saturday, the Pandas came back strong immediately following the goal and were rewarded with one of their own, Trautman's first of the afternoon off a short corner. Trautman ripped the pass at the Dinos net from the top of the circle and dinged it off the crossbar and into the net.

The remainder of the first half saw both teams pick up their defensive efforts, resulting in a 1-1 tie at the half.

The second half sealed the Dinos' fate as Trautman found the back of the net twice before the Dinos responded. Those goals came at 39:00 and 44:53 and were nearly identical situations to her first marker.

The response from the Dinos would be too little, too late. At 50:30, Serena Lockhart rifled a shot from far outside the Pandas circle that was tipped by Calgary forward Courtney Campbell en route to the back of the net.

The Pandas snuffed the Dinos' hope for a comeback five minutes later at 55:14 when Bunny Hughes managed a shot out of a crowd in front of the Dinos net that found its way past Stephanie Petrowitsch.

“I don't think that our girls brought themselves to the game mentally. They weren't prepared for that aspect of the game,” said Calgary head coach Jenn Swagar after the loss. “The key is being able to prepare their mental game, be engaged in the moment, and put in 100 per cent effort.”

The result brings the Dinos' record to 1-3 while the Pandas improve to 1-2-1. Alberta returns home for a two-game set with the UBC Thunderbirds next weekend, while the Dinos travel to Victoria to take on the Vikes.

-UC-