EDMONTON - Halle Oswald turned aside 22 shots, earning her fourth career playoff win in a 2-1 Pandas victory over Mount Royal in Game 1 of their semifinal series. 

Madison Willan and Allison Reich scored for the second-seeded Pandas, who take a 1-0 lead over the Cougars in their best-of-three series thanks to the Friday night win. 10 of Oswald's 22 saves came in the third period, as the Cougars entered the final frame trailing 2-1. 

The second-team CW All-Star was more than up for the task, stopping all 10 Cougar shots, with any momentum generated by the visitors negated with a pair of untimely penalties. 

Kaitlyn Ross stopped 24 of the 26 shots she faced in the MRU net, with Aliya Jomha scoring the lone Cougars goal in the loss, her third of the post-season. 

Willan opened the scoring for the Pandas late in the first, as they tried to avenge a semifinal loss to the same Cougars last season. The goal for Willan was the third of her playoff career, and first since 2020. 

Despite a one-sided second period, one in which Alberta outshot MRU 11-4, it was the visitors getting on the board first. Jomha beat Oswald off a feed from Athena Hauck, ripping a shot over the Pandas goalie's shoulder.

Alberta responded quickly, however, as Reich beat Ross clean with a wrist-shot just under two minutes later. 

The Pandas went 0/4 on the powerplay in the win, having multiple chances to put the game out of reach. Desperate for a goal late, a Breanne Trotter cross-check penalty in the final 80 seconds ended the Cougars hopes of a comeback.

Game 2 of the semifinal series is set for 7:00 p.m. MT tomorrow night at Clare Drake Arena.