EDMONTON - Despite another quick start by the University of Calgary Dinos, the University of Alberta Pandas came back against their provincial rivals to move on to the Canada West Final Four, taking a 2-1 decision in today's Canada West quarter-final, Saturday afternoon at Foote Field.
Sophomore midfielder Kristen Livingstone scored the winner in the second half, her second in as many games, while Alberta's first tally came off a Calgary own goal. Senior netminder Kelti Biggs made four saves in the win.
Rookie defender
Emma Partridge netted the lone tally for the visitors, sophomore goalkeeper
Samantha Chang-Foidl making four saves in the loss that ends the Dinos' season.
In both teams' season-opener back on September 6, Calgary got the jump on their hosts when
Maddie Lee scored in the second minute. Today, Partridge directed a header off a Lee corner kick in the third minute, despite the efforts of fourth-year midfielder Annalise Schellenberg who tried to thwart the shot, but just missed with her redirect attempt.
Unlike that previous game where Calgary won by an eventual 2-0 score, Alberta's only loss in the regular season, the Pandas replied in the 18th minute when the chaos in front of the Dino net after a Terri Kutryk corner had the ball bounce off several players of both teams before crossing the goal line.
With elimination at stake, the two squads focused on defence, keeping shots to a minimum and scoring chances even lower, hoping a break might come at the right time.
On a another corner kick by Kutryk in the 56th minute, that break came, pandemonium recurring in the Calgary crease before Livingstone stretched out her leg to poke the ball into the net.
The Pandas, leaders in goals against in conference play with only six allowed in 12 games, then went into full defensive mode, keeping Calgary to the perimeter in their own zone and using their ball possession in the offensive zone to keep the ball in the corner.
Alberta will move on to play either the Fraser Valley Cascades or the Victoria Vikes in a semi-final match as part of next weekend's Canada West Final Four.
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