LETHBRIDGE – The University of Lethbridge Pronghorns stormed back from two goals down late in regulation to force extra time where they completed their comeback, defeating the Calgary Dinos 4-3 in double overtime on Friday night at the Nicholas Sheran Arena.
Alicia Anderson came home with the win, stopping 40 of 43 shots she faced, as the Pronghorns pull to within five points of the sixth-placed Mount Royal Cougars for the final playoff spot with a 5-11-1-0 record. Calgary's single-point result gives them a record of 2-14-0-1, following the 39-save outing from netminder
Kelsey Roberts.
Following a scoreless opening period,
Delaney Frey registered the game's first goal in the second period. Frey's tally was her second of the season as she scored top-shelf on the far-side of Anderson's net, directly off of a face-off win by
Chelsea Court.
Shortly after that, Lethbridge's Katelyn Breitkreuz would take a body checking penalty in the offensive zone. With just over 40 seconds remaining in the penalty,
Carley Wlad capitalized on a rebound chance taken by
Dana Wood that took an awkward bounce.
The Pronghorns got on the scoreboard in the third period as Meg Dyer bounced the puck off the far boards to Breitkreuz, who sniped it top-shelf above the blocker of Roberts, for her first goal of the season.
Shortly after Breitkreuz's goal, the Dinos would have a quick response, as
Rachel Paul carried the puck from the front of her own net, into the Lethbridge zone zig-zagging around the Lethbridge defenders, before sending her backhand shot high glove-side on Anderson to cap off a remarkable solo effort. Paul's fourth of the season restored the Dinos' two-goal advantage with roughly 13 minutes remaining in the final frame.
With time winding down a scramble in front of the Calgary net led to a chance for the Pronghorns to cut the Dinos' lead in half. Jodi Gentile would find a loose puck inside the crease and she tucked it into the empty net with Roberts unable to retrieve the puck.
20 seconds later, with an extra attacker on the ice, Jordan Doram would find herself alone in front of Roberts with the puck on her stick. She fired it five-hole to tie the game up with 1:11 remaining in the third period.
Following a speedy first five minutes of overtime, the three-on-three fifth period would prove to be even more fast-paced, as both sides would have ample opportunity to find the back of the net. Roberts came up clutch with a quick glove save on a screened wrist-shot in the first minute, and not long after Anderson would keep the puck off the goal line as the Dinos got in tight to the net.
Lethbridge thought they had netted the game winner as Van Vaerenbergh tried to put in a rebound off of Roberts' blocker. However, the goal was waved off as Van Vaerenbergh caused the net to come out of position just before the puck had crossed the line.
Van Vaerenbergh would get redemption for her disallowed goal, as she netted the game-winning goal with 35 seconds left in the second overtime period, giving the Pronghorns the come from behind win.
The Dinos will look to rebound when their home-and-home set with the Pronghorns shifts to the Father David Bauer Arena on Saturday with a 6 p.m. puck drop.
