Bisons and Pandas split weekend series
Still tied for No. 1 in Canada West
Ajitpaul Mangat, Staff
Photo by Karen Asher.
A team identified by the adorable moniker of Pandas may sound like a congenial, pleasant group, but the University of Alberta women’s hockey team will mess you up. Having won six of the last eight CIS women’s hockey championships, the Pandas are a pony-tailed collegiate sports dynasty on skates. This season has been more of the same, as Alberta is ranked second in the nation and averaging almost six goals per game.
Thus, this past weekend’s home series with the two-time defending champion Pandas represented a massive test for the No. 4-ranked Bisons who are off to their best start ever, beginning the weekend tied with Alberta for first in the Canada West with a record of 7-1.
The opening period of the first game began as a back-and-forth affair with each team producing glorious scoring opportunities only to be outdone by superb goaltending. The Bisons eventually solved Pandas goaltender Dana Vinge scoring with just over four minutes remaining in the period. Andi Wilgosh unleashed a shot from the point that found its way past a cavalcade of Pandas into the back of the Alberta net.
The Bisons built on their lead early in the second period. Captain Leanne Kisil skated to the edge of the crease and sent a shot in on net. After a mad scramble, it was Chantal Larocque that potted the Bisons’ second goal.
“They are both big-time leaders. Leanne is strong game in and game out,” said head coach Jon Rempel. “Chantal . . . has stepped right into the role [of team leader] and definitely has been a great asset to this team.”
The indefatigable Pandas employed prolific special teams, scoring two second period power play goals, to even the score. First, midway through the period, Andrea Boras’ shot from the point beat Bison goaltender Stacey Corfield. Then, about three minutes later, Mia Mucci tipped Miranda Miller’s shot into the top right corner of the net.
“One thing we have to improve is staying out of the box, especially against this team. They are very deadly on the power play,” said Rempel.
The Bisons proved their mettle in the third period by regaining the lead. Larocque and Kisil, notching their second points of the game, set up the go-ahead goal by combining on passes that sent Addie Miles on a breakaway. Miles made no mistake sending the puck over a diving Vinge into the top-left corner of the net, just 3:38 into the period. The Pandas blitzed the home team’s goal for the remainder of the period, but the Bisons’ stingy defence, allowing just over one goal per game, held strong, earning them a hard-fought 3-2 victory. Corfield made 20 saves for the win.
The victory represented only the second time in the program’s history that they had ever defeated the Pandas.
“The whole team came today to play. They knew they were going to have a battle on their hands and they really came together this whole week: practice time, and game time. The credit goes to them completely,” said Rempel. “I’m hoping [defeating Alberta] will make some people stand up and notice that we legitimately are a team. We do lack some recognition, but this should help.”
The Bisons were unable to repeat their success in the second game of the weekend series.
The Pandas took the lead 7:51 into the first period. Miranda Miller passed the puck to Cami Wooster, whose shot from the point was deflected by Mia Mucci past Corfield.
Alberta built on that lead a few minutes later when the same three Pandas connected on another goal. Wooster and Mucci served as playmakers, sending Miller in alone on a breakaway that she took advantage of by backhanding the puck into the back of the net.
The Pandas dominated the final two periods, out shooting the Bisons 26-14, but ultimately won by the 2-0 score line they had built in the first period. By splitting the series the Pandas and Bisons remain tied for the Canada West division lead, amassing an impressive 18 points each after 10 games.
The Bisons (8-2-0) will next play a weekend road series on Nov 23-24 against the University of Saskatchewan Huskies (4-5-1). The Pandas (8-2-0) will next play at home against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds (2-8-0).
