VICTORIA – In what Head Coach
Peter Taylor called 'the best game we have ever played," the University of Calgary Dinos ensured Victoria's national championships hopes will have to wait another weekend after a 2-2 draw.
A strong performance from the visitors stymied a guarantee to Nationals for the Vikes who will now have to await the UBC and Calgary results next week.
Fifth years Delaney Booker and Stefanie Langkammer each scored for the Vikes for the second day in a row. It was the last home game for Kristina Walters-Shumka, Jenna Dhillon, Lindsay Cole, Booker and Langkammer.
For the Dinos, goalkeeper
Ingrid Ulrich was outstanding between the pipes.
Chloe Keeler-Young and
Jenna Bower netted the two goals for the Dinos, who earn their second tie of the season after not earning any points since 2012.
"The girls played what I would consider the best game we have ever played," said an elated Dinos head coach
Peter Taylor, whose team improves to 0-4-2. "We committed ourselves the whole 70 minutes. We played tough and we really put the Vikes under pressure.
"The composure was a big part of what we talked about last night and in our team meeting this morning and they went out and executed. That's what it really was. It was composure and intensity."
The Dinos came out with a renewed fight in the opening half. Penalty corner opportunities favoured the Dinos 4-2, three of which came in the opening five minutes of the game. Vikes defender Emily Wong did well to close down on the Calgary options at the top of the circle.
The Vikes' best chance of the game came when they executed a press on Calgary's 15-m hit. Booker's hard work to close down the right side of the pitch allowed for the counter-attack as she sprung Sam McCrory down the right side. McCrory and Cole had a give-and-go play and Cole's resulting back-hand was stymied at the last minute by the glove of Ulrich.
In the 26th minute the Vikes got their first penalty corner chance of the game but a hot-potato play at the top of the circle resulted in the Vikes not getting a quality shot off.
Calgary showed hard work defensively all game as captain
Marion Arnott once again anchored the back field. Offensive possession was also working to Calgary's advantage as Bower,
Melanie Scholz and
Michelle Patterson's simplified play generated more opportunities than the day previous.
In the 30th minute the Vikes broke on a 5-m infraction and the Dinos found themselves at the top of the circle for their fourth penalty corner. This time Calgary did no options and Birch-Jones smashed in the ball that ricocheted off Vikes goalkeeper Robin Fleming's foot and in to the net for a 1-0 Dinos lead, and the game remained 1-0 for Calgary at half time.
The start of the second half was a different story for the Vikes. Fifth-year fire power turned the game around for the home side. In the 38th minute an errant transfer pass by Birch-Jones went right to the stick of Booker. The forward had acres of time and space and walked the ball in to the circle and smashed it bottom corner for a 1-1 tie.
Langkammer advanced the Vikes' lead in the 40th minute on a penalty corner rebound. The initial sweep shot by Anna Mollenhauer bounced off the pads of Ulrich and Langkammer flipped the ball in for a 2-1 Victoria lead.
Calgary netminder Ulrich showed great composure to deny the Vikes from the penalty stroke mark after Mollenhauer was fouled in the circle. First year McCrory took the stroke for Victoria but Ulrich kept the Vikes at bay.
Calgary was able to tie the game on a quick break down the other side that was met with a hard challenge from Vikes defender Judy Cristante. The Dinos were able to capitalize from the penalty stroke mark as Bower's composure allowed her to finish in the bottom corner for a 2-2 tie game.
A brilliant pass in tight to a streaking Cole almost gave the Vikes another advantage. Cole winded her way through the Calgary crowd but lost the final one-on-one to Ulrich's stick.
Ulrich continued her brilliance throughout the second half denying six Vikes penalty corners late in the half.
"What Ingrid did today was amazing," said Taylor. "She gave us the point just by all the first saves in the first half and then all the corners in the second. She is easily by far our best player today. Even though many girls played well she was by far our most outstanding player."
Victoria's Fleming was called to action big in the final minute of the came as a flurry of Calgary attack resulted in two shots on goal. Fleming made the key saves and though the Vikes pressed hard to the final minute the game remained a 2-2 draw.
This wraps up the regular season for the Vikes, while the Dinos have two more games against the Thunderbirds, Oct. 19-20, in Vancouver.
SCORING SUMMARY
1st Half
31' CGY –
Jenna Birch-Jones PC, 1-0 CGY
2nd Half
38' VIC – Delaney Booker FG, 1-1 VIC
40' VIC – Stefanie Langkammer PC, 2-1 VIC
46' CGY –
Jenna Bower PS, 2-2 CGY
GOALKEEPERS
VIC – Robin Fleming, 70 MP, 2 GA
CGY –
Ingrid Ulrich, 70 MP, 2 GA
CARDS
54' – CGY #22
Sabrina Wong, GC
68' VIC #11 Jenna Dhillon, YC
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