EDMONTON – Despite a second half surge from the Pandas, which saw them outshoot MacEwan 9-6, it wasn't enough against the defending U SPORTS Champions, as MacEwan came away with a 3-1 win on Friday night. 

Alyx Henderson gave the Griffins a quick 1-0 lead just five minutes into the contest, jumping on a loose ball in the box and chipping it past Pandas goalkeeper Autumn Wynn.
But the visitors mucked up much of what the Griffins were trying to do for the rest of the half, consistently breaking up links and spending large chunks of time in MacEwan's end.

They didn't really get much success in the attacking third, though, repelled over and over by a strong Griffins' back line.

But Alberta finally broke through to tie the contest on the final play of the first half when Erin Hope's brilliant corner kick curled inside the near post off the hands of MacEwan keeper Bianca Castillo.

But the Griffins – in a textbook response of what champions do – came out flying to start the second half and really never looked back.

Half-time sub Grace Schimpf's 51^st minute free kick from the side of the box, rattled off a couple of bodies before Van Dolder slotted it through several pairs of legs inside the left post.
The insurance marker took forever to come for the Griffins, but they weren't without chances.

Van Dolder sizzled a laser from the left side off the crossbar in the 59^th before Schimpf's chip off a beautiful Maya Morrell cross in the 86^th found the bar also.

At the end of an extended extra time period due to several players cramping up in the heat and having to leave the proceedings, Van Dolder put the game away on a penalty kick after Morrell was taken down in the box.

The Griffins will visit the Pandas in a weekend rematch on Sunday (12 p.m., Foote Field).