EDMONTON - Sparked by four goals in the first half, including three in the span of eight minutes, the Pandas soccer team earned their first win of the season with a 5-2 decision over the MacEwan Griffins on Sunday afternoon. 

In arguably their strongest performance under head coach Kristyn Shapka, the Pandas outshot the defending national champions 18-9, which included an 11-4 advantage on shots on target. Cara Lang, McKayla Brault, Adrienne Poulin, Kelli Haffie, and Brooke Lang found the net for Alberta, while Autumn Wynn made two saves for her first career Canada West victory. Erin Hope, who scored the Pandas lone goal on Friday, added two shots and three assists on Sunday. 

Erin Van Dolder scored her third goal of the weekend for MacEwan, with Grace Mwasalla also finding the net in the loss. Starting keeper Breanna Truscott was pulled after allowing four goals on five shots in the opening half. Brianna Castillo stopped five of the six shots she faced in the second in the MacEwan net. 

Despite coming off a 3-1 loss on Friday, the Pandas found some form in the second half of that match, which clearly carried into Sunday's tilt. The Pandas outshot MacEwan 9-4 in the opening 45, dominating possession of the ball. 

Cara Lang openened the scoring in the 7th, beating Truscott with a high shot from distance. Alberta really found their legs in the final 10 minutes of the opening half, scoring thrice. 

Brault scored her first of the season in the 35th, beating Truscott with a high shot that grazed her gloves. Poulin added another Alberta goal in the 40th, racing past the MacEwan defenders with blazing speed, before potting the ball into the lower half of the net. 

Haffie, a 2021 Canada West All-Rookie team member, scored her first career goal off a free kick in the 43rd, finding the loose ball in the MacEwan crease. 

Looking for a spark in the second half, the Griffins relied on Mwasalla, who starting controlling the ball in the offensive half. A dash in the Alberta box forced a Panda foul, setting up Van Dolder from the penalty spot in the 55th. 

Mwasalla scored her first of the season just six minutes later, finishing off another great solo effort. A long-distance strike from Brooke Lang, that sailed over Castillo's head, sealed the Alberta win, and ended the MacEwan comeback.

Both teams will have next weekend off, before visiting UBC and Victoria on September 9th and 10th.