Edmonton - The University of Alberta Pandas women's hockey team fell just short of erasing a two goal deficit in the third period, as they dropped a 2-1 decision to the University of Calgary Dinos Saturday afternoon at Clare Drake Arena.

With the win, No. 2 Calgary locks up first place in Canada West and will earn the bye in the first round of playoffs. From here on out, the Dinos will play all games at home up until Nationals, save the Crowchild Classic to be played at the Scotiabank Saddledome on February 7. 

Goals from Jenna Smith and Tiffany Astle would be all the offence Calgary would need, as fourth-year netminder Amanda Tapp stood tall, making 24 saves, including a couple of the five-bell variety as Alberta pushed late to tie. With the win, the Dinos complete the sweep of their northern Alberta rivals and now sport an imposing record of 20-3-1.

It's the Pandas second loss to the country's No. 2 ranked team in two nights, and now with a record of 15-8-1, have lost by a one-goal margin in all of their defeats this season. Monika Moskalski scored the lone Alberta goal, her 4th of the season, while fourth-year goaltender Michala Jeffries made 23 saves in a game where the Gold and Evergreen were outshot 25-19. 

Although the Pandas controlled the play and generated a couple chances on a power-play early in the first, the Dinos opened the scoring at 13:44 with Smith's 13th goal and 29th point in 22 games this season to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. As time ran down in the period, two consecutive Panda penalties gave Calgary a two-player advantage. Thanks to a dogged effort on the penalty-kill, Alberta, who owns the second-worst percentage in Canada West when down a player (83.6%), were lucky to escape the first down only one and facing a 9-4 deficit on the shot clock.

Early in the second, the Dinos failed to score on what was remaining in the five on three, but that didn't stop them from taking it to the Pandas the rest of the period.  Calgary outshot the Pandas 12-7 in the frame, and went up 2-0 on an Astle wrist shot that deflected off a body in front and squirted through Jeffries' pads. Astle's eventual game winner was just her first goal and third point of the season, and the Dinos would outshoot the Pandas for the sixth straight period, dating back to a November 3rd, 2012 contest, a 1-0 Calgary win. 

Alberta would end that streak, outshooting their southern opponents (8-4), and drawing within one with just over five minutes to go in the third.  A yeoman's effort by Karla Bourke behind the Calgary net powered the Panda's captain passed a Dino defender, giving her space to center the puck to line mate and fifth-year forward Moskalski, who quickly banged home her fourth goal of the campaign. The goal breathed life into an Alberta offence that was largely stagnant throughout most of the game, as Bourke, the Panda's leading point getter (22), had a golden opportunity to tie it up, but was stoned point-blank by the cagey Tapp with 2:07 remaining. 

Next weekend, Alberta heads to Regina to face the Cougars in back-to-back games that will continue to shape Canada West post-season matchups. Meanwhile, Calgary will host the Saskatchewan Huskies in a two-game set at Father David Bauer Arena.