CALGARY - A strong second half made up for a weak first one as the University of Calgary Dinos field hockey team rallied from a one goal deficit to tie the University of Victoria Vikes 1-1 in Calgary on Sunday afternoon.

The Vikes opened the game with a boatload of pressure early, with Calgary goalie Steph Petrowitch being called into action to stop Danni Hennig from scoring on one of two early short corner attempts.

Hennig would  put the visitors on top 17 minutes in as she dove for a pass the circle and chipped a shot past Petrowitch on her way to the turf.

Victoria would almost put a second goal on the board a minute later as Courtney Low received the ball in the same fashion and same spot, but couldn't control the pass.

At halftime, the Dinos' lone ray of hope was the final minute of the half where they had rallied and gotten some offense moving before being dashed by the horn. That offense continued into the second half with Kaitlyn Longworth moving the ball into the circle only to be stripped by the defender.

The first 15 minutes of the second half saw much of the same play until the Dinos were awarded a short corner for their offensive pressure. That corner saw an impressive save from Vikes 'keeper Kaitlyn Williams that popped straight up in the air and was batted down by Calgary forward Serena Lockhart. That goal wouldn't stand as the umpires ruled it in off a high stick.

The ruling left the Dinos with another short corner attempt which they wouldn't miss on. The tying goal was scored by Penny Cuthbert after she picked off a rebound from a Longworth shot and a tip from Lockhart.

Despite three consecutive short corner chances shortly after the Dinos' tally, the Vikes would fail to notch a second goal and the score would remain 1-1.

“It was up and it was down. We had highs and we had lows,” Dinos head coach Jenn Swagar noted after the game. “I think we could have pressed the pace a bit more. It's a matter of experience, of knowing that you're a bigger, stronger, team.”

The tie brings the Dinos' record to 3-2-1 going into next week's away bouts against the UBC Thunderbirds, the top team in Canada West. Victoria, meanwhile will take their 3-1-2 record to Edmonton where they take on the winless Pandas.

GOAL SCORERS
Victoria - Dani Hennig (17')
Calgary - Penny Cuthbert (52')

GOALKEEPERS
Victoria - Kaitlyn Williams 70 MP, 1 GA
Calgary - Steph Petrowitsch 70 MP, 1 GA

-UC-