Canada West Final: Alberta takes extra time to defeat Manitoba

by Paul Cartledge, U of Alberta Sports Info Asssistant

Photo courtesy Pete Yee / The Gateway: Alana Cabana's OT goal gave Alberta the 2010 Canada West women's hockey title and a trip to Nationals

EDMONTON - Although the deciding game of the Canada West women's hockey championship needed extra time for the third-straight year, the CIS No. 3-ranked University of Alberta Pandas claimed their eighth conference banner in 13 years in a gripping 3-2 OT victory over the No. 6 Manitoba Bisons, Saturday in Edmonton.

"It was huge getting it done today," comments Alberta head coach Howie Draper. "Seeing Manitoba's momentum improve during [regular time]... I'm glad to win it."

Scoring the only game-winner for Alberta in last year's championships when the Bisons took the crown, Edmonton native Alana Cabana grabbed a loose puck from a faceoff in the Manitoba end and put a wristshot low to the glove-side of Tara Lacquette at the 4:16 mark of overtime.

"The puck was just sitting on the draw and I just wanted to throw the puck to the net," relays the former CIS All-Canadian.

Were it not for a tying goal with 27.4 seconds left, the series would be tied at one game apiece, but a Stephanie Ramsay point shot was deftly deflected by alternate captain Lindsie Fairfield, squirting from underneath Lacquette to fellow Alberta alternate captain Leah Copeland, who quickly guided the puck into an empty net for a 2-2 score.

The exciting plays were rampant throughout the entire match, with Manitoba getting the first great scoring chance on a Nellie Minshull breakaway at the Alberta blueline, only five minutes into the opening frame. The triple-overtime hero from last year's Canada West championship tried to deke out fourth-year goalie Dana Vinge, but she could not put the puck past the outstretched Edmonton native.

"She is a tremendous, tremendous player," praises Draper. "If she continues, we have a really good chance at Nationals."

The new all-time Pandas leader in conference wins and shutouts continued to stymie the Bisons' offense in the first period as she made a terrific glove save over her left pad when Manitoba's leading conference goal-scorer, Tammy Brade, had a short-handed breakaway all the way from the Manitoba blueline.

"We expected them to come out hard," states Vinge. "We had a couple of little breakdowns, but there was nothing we could do."

Due to Vinge's efforts and a continued unyielding forecheck from the home squad, the Pandas completed the initial 20 minutes with a 1-0 lead, as defender Andrea Boras got her third power-play goal of the playoffs by sifting a slapshot through a screen and right into the top corner of the Manitoba net.

Fairfield and sophomore Vancouver native Sarah Hilworth each assisted on the Boras' tally, finishing the night with a team-leading four assists in the post-season thus far, with Hilworth now leading all Pandas with five points.

The game far from over, however, the Manitoba Bisons tied the score midway through the second on their own man-advantage when Brade roofed a one-timer from third-year Addie Miles.

Brade would score her second of the night at the 10:27 mark of the third when Thunder Bay, ON native Becca King streaked down the wing on a Manitoba rush and centered the puck to the game's second star, who deflected the puck up and over Vinge for the temporary one-goal lead.

From then on, Alberta turned up the heat in the offensive zone, leading to Copeland's last-minute equalizer and Cabana's series-winning clincher.

"This was a tremendous team-builder for us," notes Draper. "We really needed it."

"We've had lots of ups and downs this year, but this team is resilient."

The Pandas now advance as the only Canada West entry to the CIS championship, taking place March 11-14 at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, NS.