EDMONTON – The Calgary Dinos' Cinderella season came to a halt Sunday afternoon as they fell 20-12 to the Alberta Pandas in the Canada West women's rugby championship game at Ellerslie Rugby Park in Edmonton.

The silver-medal finish is the best in the program's history, however, and improves on the conference bronze won a year ago. The Dinos finish the 2012 season 4-2, with both losses coming to the Pandas. With the win, Alberta secured the only Canada West berth to the CIS championship, set for Nov. 1-3 at StFX University in Antigonish, N.S.

Following the game, several Dinos were recognized for their oustanding seasons. Brynna Walker, Jade Menin, Kelcey Leavitt, and Amanda Williams were each named Canada West all-stars, while Tarin Arndt earned the student-athlete community service award - the third straight Dino to be honoured in that fashion, following in the footsteps of former teammates Kim Gould (2010) and Jovita Byzitter (2011).

Arndt is very active in community and volunteer evdeavours that cover the globe. In 2010 she founded T4A Apparel - Tie Dye For Africa, a not-for profit fundraising initiative aimed to raise money for The Napenda Rescue Foundation, KCC Slum &  Living Positive Mlolongo through hand-made tie dye t-shirts. A year later, Arndt founded the Napenda Rescue Foundation to provide children, women and people affected by HIV/AIDS infection in East Africa with health pre-requisites such as shelter, education, social security, social relations, food, income, empowerment, and stable ecosystem.
 
While still active in both of the foundations she helped create, she is also as Living Positive Kenya & Mlolongo intern and volunteer and finds time for rugby the Saints Rugby Club in Calgary, where Arndt is Saints Rugby Club a member and the Fundraising Executive.

The championship game itself was tight in the early going, but the veteran Pandas busted the game wide open in the second half, getting tries from sophomore Hayley Sandboe, centre Maya Hiller and freshman Paige Farries, and then held off the Calgary comeback to clinch the title before the Edmonton faithful. Third-year prop Morgan Patzelt, who scored the Pandas' opening try.
 
Pandas' kicker Teanna Chase was given a hard time by the swirling and gusting winds on Sunday, as she saw a well kicked second-half convert attempt pushed surprisingly wide, and then watched helplessly as her second-half penalty goal attempt blown into the upright.
 
Calgary, playing in its first ever Canada West championship match, got tries from Katherine Procyshyn and Kelcey Leavitt while kicker Katie Scotland put the wind to good use by connecting on one convert attempt.
 
After a pair of early tries, one each by Calgary and Alberta, the two teams battled hard, but defences ruled the opening 40 minutes, as both sides yielded just once, despite goal-line chances by both sides. The Dinos got on the board first, just minutes into the contest, when Procyshyn busted through to put the Dinos up 5-0.
 
Just a few minutes later, Patzelt leveled the score with a try of her own.
 
Calgary then dominated possession for the next 15 minutes, and got to Alberta's touchline, but never beyond it.
 
Following some strong defence, the Alberta offence took over, controlling the possession for the final 20 minutes of the half, but they also failed to get into the in-goal area.

The Pandas jumped in front when first-year Paige Farries, who had three tries against UBC during Friday's semi-final, raced through the Dinos' defence for the 10-5 lead.
 
Minutes later, the Pandas increased their advantage when Hiller simply stormed right up the gut of the field, breaking at least three tackles, to score the back-breaking try, and put her team up 15-5.
 
Sandboe scored the insurance marker, which was well needed in light of Leaviit's blazing 65-yard scoring run that came with just seven minutes to go in the match.
 
After Scotland converted and drew the match score to 20-12, Calgary seem energized, but they couldn't crack Alberta's resolve as the Pandas snuffed out the Dinos in the final few minutes to earn the win.

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