EDMONTON – Flying out of the gates with their best period of the season, the MacEwan University Griffins spring-boarded off an early 2-0 lead to beat the University of Calgary Dinos 4-3 in Canada West women's hockey action Saturday afternoon.

Jayme Doyle opened the scoring 11:37 into the game, jumping on a loose puck and burying it far top corner. Then, Kallie O'Hearn's well-placed point shot put MacEwan up 2-0 with 30 seconds left in the opening frame.

So, it was Calgary chasing the game after that and they made it tough on the Griffins, putting 37 shots on net in the final 40 minutes, including a furious rally attempt in the waning moments. But Griffins goaltender Natalie Bender made two highlight-reel saves at the end – robbing Taylor Beck on a point-blank shot and then sliding on her stomach to somehow get a pad on a one-timer from Elizabeth Lang with 22 seconds left.

She finished with 37 saves.

Hailey Maurice put the Griffins up 3-0 with a power play goal 5:25 into the second period, cashing in on a rebound off Ricker's initial shot.

After Calgary finally got on the board with a power play goal of their own at 7:27 – Holly Reuther put a cross-seam pass over Bender's shoulder – the Griffins went back to work with the man advantage as Ricker restored their three-goal lead by tipping in Kyrelle Skoye's point shot.

The Dinos wouldn't go away, though, pulling within two before the second ended when Sage Desjardins took advantage of a broken play in the slot, whirling around and firing it under the bar.

After Calgary's Gabriella Durante stopped Mackenzie Dachuk point blank early in the third period – one of 32 saves for her on the day – the Dinos pulled within one when Emily Hill juked a defender and went top shelf.

But the Griffins hung on for an important win that moves them even with Calgary at 3-5-0 for the sixth and final playoff spot in the Canada West standings.

The Dinos head into a bye-week before continuing road swing with a trip to Saskatoon to face the Saskatchewan Huskies, Nov. 19-20.