EDMONTON - Payton Laumbach scored and dished two assists in a 3-0 Alberta Pandas victory over the Saskatchewan Huskies Saturday afternoon at Clare Drake Arena.

Make that nine straight wins for the surging Pandas, who were ranked third in the country coming into this weekend. The victory today clinches the East Division for Alberta, who now secure a home berth in the Canada West semifinals as they attempt to win their 15th CW Championship. They move to 20-3-1 and are an astounding 15-0-1 in their last 16.

Kallie Clouston opened the scoring just three minutes into this one, a goal that would end up being the game-winner as Alberta's Misty Rey turned aside all 12 Huskies shots in the contest for her second shutout of the year. Laumbach and Natalie Kieser would follow suit in the second and third periods, respectively, en route to a whistle-to-whistle victory. They outshot Saskatchewan 37-12, with the Huskies' Colby Wilson playing largely terrific between the pipes again for the visitors, but her skaters were just unable to break through a stalwart Pandas defence.

It was a shotgun start for Alberta in this one, as on just the second shot of the game, Clouston ripped a snapshot top corner past the glove hand of Wilson for her second of the year and an early 1-0 lead. The teams would trade powerplay opportunities with nothing to show, as the 1-0 lead held into the first intermission. Alberta outshot the Huskies 13-4, continuing to hold momentum from their win last night.

The second would start similarly, as on the advantage Peyton Laumbach got a stick on a Jadynn Morden wrister from the circle to give Alberta a 2-0 lead. The two sides continued to rack up penalty minutes for the rest of the frame, but both penalty kills stood solid. The Pandas again outshot the Huskies in the second, this time racking up a 14-5 advantage as they headed to the third with a small lead but a large advantage in momentum.

Kieser potted her sixth of the season at 13:25 in the third period, a wrist shot from the right circle that made its way past Wilson to give Alberta a 3-0 lead that they would hold onto until the final whistle.

The Pandas travel to Langley for a two-game set against the Trinity Western Spartans next weekend, then return home to finish the season against the Manitoba Bison. Saskatchewan returns home to face the MacEwan Griffins next week, then finishes up at home against the UBC Thunderbirds and on the road against the Bison.