Podloski and Hilworth lead Pandas past Huskies

CIS scoring leader Tarin Podloski and sophomore forward Sarah Hilworth combined for five points as No.8 ranked University of Alberta Pandas hockey team clinched first place in Canada West thanks to a 4-1 win over the No.8 ranked Saskatchewan Huskies, Saturday night at Clare Drake Arena.

Podloski had a goal and two assists, Hilworth had a pair of goals, including the game-winner, while Leah Copeland also lit the lamp for Alberta. Fifth-year forward Shaye Christiansen scored the lone tally for the visitors.

Podloski's three points gives her 35 on the season, one year after she finished with a single-season CIS record of 61 points, en route to being named the national player of the year. She is also closing in on the CIS all-time career scoring record of 212, set by former Panda Danielle Bourgeois. Podloski, originally from St. Albert, AB, now has 205 points in her career with Alberta, but just four conference games remaining.

Hilworth, originally from Vancouver, almost scored the first goal of the game when she rushed in on a short-handed opportunity, but rang her shot off the post. The Pandas killed off back-to-back shorthanded situations early in the first, generating momentum that eventually led to Copeland's goal.

Copeland, who sits in second place among Canada West point producers, broke the deadlock by firing a wrist shot over the right pad of Vanessa Frederick in the Huskie goal at the 13:50 mark, with Podloski and Alana Cabana drawing the assists.

The veteran Saskatchewan goalie kept the game close in the latter stages of the first, making big door-stop saves on Melody Howard and Rayanne Reeve.

Saskatchewan gave Frederick some run support in the second period when Christiansen scored their only goal of the weekend on the power-play, beating Alberta goalie Dana Vinge from in close at 14:32. Chelsea Purcell and Sara White picked up the helpers.

Just 41 seconds into the third period, however, Hilworth found her way onto the score sheet when she notched her first of the game, and the winner, on the power-play. Andrea Boras and Podloski picked up assists on the extra-man goal, Alberta's first on the weekend.

Hilworth added her second goal of the game at the 9:58 mark of the third, unassisted, and Podloski scored one minute later on a nifty forehand-backhand deke around Frederick from in tight.

Alberta has a ‘bye' weekend next, but Saskatchewan resumes play with a home-and-home series next Saturday and Sunday against the Regina Cougars.