EDMONTON - Hayleigh Craig had a one-goal, four-assist night and the Pandas went 4/8 on the powerplay to sink the Trinity Western Spartans 5-1 Saturday afternoon at Clare Drake Arena.
Craig was joined on the scoresheet with a phenomenal performance by Peyton Laumbach who finished with a goal and two assists.
Ashlee Wolfe netted TWU's only goal in the contest, with the Spartans struggling to make it past a solid Halle Oswald who stopped 17/18 shots in the win.
The win marks seven straight victories for the Pandas (15-5-2), who are currently second in the Canada West. The sixth-placed Trinity Western Spartans (9-10-3) pick up their sixth-straight loss in conference play.
The Pandas were dominant from the opening puck drop, controlling possession and high-danger opportunities to start the game. The hosts would get on the scoreboard just five minutes into the contest, with Kallie Clouston taking advantage of a Pandas 5-on-3 powerplay and potting her sixth of the year on a phenomenal diving effort off of a rebound. They were so dominant it took until the halfway point in the period for TWU to register their first shot on goal. The powerplay was working in the first for Alberta, adding another tally off the stick of Peyton Laumbach to make it 2-0. TWU netminder Mabel Maltais had a good period, turning 12 of 14 shots aside including a breakaway chance for Cassidy Maplethorpe midway through the frame.
The period would finish up 2-0 for Alberta, who outshot the Spartans 14-6 in the frame. Hayleigh Craig was the primary assister on both Pandas goals.
Alberta would continue to showcase their second-CW-ranked offence early in the second. Craig would put home a cross-crease pass from Laumbach to give the Pandas a 3-0 lead just three minutes into the frame. Two minutes later, on another 5-on-3 powerplay, Abby Soyko wristed home a goal past Maltais to make it a 4-0 game. Another powerplay opportunity came knocking towards the end of the period, and the Pandas top-ranked powerplay converted yet another one. This time, Natalie Kieser banged home a battle in front for her seventh of the year for a 5-0 Alberta lead that would hold into the intermission.
The Pandas outshot the Spartans 9-4 in the second.
The Spartans would get on the board early in the third thanks to a phenomenal individual effort from Ashlee Wolfe. She was denied by Oswald on her initial attempt but batted a loose puck out of mid-air for her first goal of the season. The rest of the way, however, was quiet as the Pandas cruised to a 5-1 victory.
Next weekend, the Pandas head to Saskatchewan for a two-game set against the Huskies, while the Spartans return home to face the MacEwan Griffins.
