SASKATOON – Perfect through 60 minutes and two overtime periods, the University of Calgary Dinos fell 1-0 in a shootout to the Saskatchewan Huskies Friday night at Merlis Belsher Place.
Defenceman Leah Bohlken's tally in the fourth round of the shootout was the only puck to find twine all evening long, helping the Huskies improve their record to 10-6-2-3 on the season.
Jessica Vance was a calming force between the pipes for Saskatchewan, as the netminder recorded her fourth shutout of the season. Vance stopped all 23 shots she faced on the night, to go along with four stops in the shootout.
Kelsey Roberts was equally brilliant between the pipes for Calgary, as she kept her team in the game throughout the night, making several saves including 10 in the two overtime periods.
With the shootout loss, coupled with an Alberta win over Lethbridge, the Pandas leapfrog the Dinos in the standings. Calgary falls into second-place in the Canada West with a 13-5-1-2 record.
After a slow start to the opening frame,
Elizabeth Lang delivered the best chance of the period, catching Vance off her post but the wrister rang off the iron. Saskatchewan was able to withstand a late flurry from Calgary in the final minutes of the first to enter the second period with the game still knotted up at 0-0.
Neither team was able to break the ice in the middle frame, with the best chance of the second coming from the homeside, as Bailee Bourassa set up Brooklyn Haubrich in front of the cage, but the fifth-year forward was unable to find twine as her shot sailed high.
After neither team was able to open the scoring through the first 19 minutes of the third, the Huskies were presented with an opportunity late in regulation after a Dinos penalty gave the hosts a man-advantage. However, Saskatchewan couldn't solve Roberts, ensuring neither team would pick up the three-point regulation victory, sending the game to overtime.
Saskatchewan, who carried the powerplay into sudden death, couldn't take advantage of their chances with the extra attacker, as Roberts continued to neutralize the Huskies attack.
The Dinos lone chance of the two overtime periods came on a two-on-one, with Paul sliding a pass across to Beck, but Vance was equal to the task, making a highlight-reel save by stacking the pads and keeping the Huskies alive.
Saskatchewan had chances of their own in the late-going of three-on-three, two of which were from Bourassa, who had an opportunity alone in the slot, and another after she beat a defender wide on a one-on-one, but her slick backhand chance was unable to solve Roberts.
With seventy minutes of action solving nothing, off to the shootout, the clubs went. In the shootout, it was Vance who stole the show. The netminder recorded a pair of tremendous saves, stopping all three shots in the opening round, which Roberts matched at the opposite end of the ice.
But in the fourth round, Bohlken provided the difference, as her wrister squeaked past Roberts. From there, Vance did the rest as she shutdown
Dana Wood to help the Huskies escape with two points.
After Saskatchewan swept Calgary in their regular season battle in the Stampede City earlier this season, the Huskies will go for the season sweep on Saturday night as they continue their attempt to make up ground on the Dinos in the Canada West standings.
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