Box Score
CALGARY –  A resilient team but ultimately not enough tonight.

In the final game of 2024, the University of Alberta Pandas women's hockey team staved off the MRU Cougars to win 3-2 in overtime.

In the second game of the weekend between two of the Canada West's top teams, the Pandas avenged their shootout loss to the Cougars on Friday night in Edmonton.

The game was deadlocked at zero for the first 39 minutes. In the final minute of the second, Alberta finally changed that.

Pandas' blueliner made a smart play, knocking the puck down and stealing it from the Cougars. Suddenly, Alberta had numbers heading the other way. Payton Laumbach broke into the zone and ripped a wrist shot into the top corner, popping Kaitlyn Ross' water bottle up into the air.

Laumbach's first of the season gave Alberta a 1-0 lead with 34 seconds left in the period.

Just 26 seconds into the final frame, the Pandas added to their lead.

Allison Reich rushed into MRU's zone, criss-crossing with Izzy Lajoie to attempt to create separation with the Mount Royal defence. On her off-foot, Reich shot a fluttering shot that fooled Ross and found the back of the net. 

Determined to not let the game slip away, Kiana McNinch came over the boards for the Cougars, looking to make a difference. Defenders Summer Fomradas and Alex Spence cycled the puck along the blue line, eventually finding McNinch in her wheelhouse. The third-year forward collected the pass from Spence before shooting a laser past the glove of Pandas' netminder Misty Rey.

"Sometimes things don't go your way and sometimes they do," said McNinch. "When our team is playing well together, things go better for us."

With just under 10 minutes to play, the Cougars had life.

When McNinch stepped onto the ice for her next shift, she found herself making a difference again. The Turtleford, Sask. product picked up the puck just inside the Alberta blue line, heading toward the slot. McNinch intelligently dropped the puck to Abbey Borbandy who let a slapshot go. The puck found its way through a crowd, beating Rey and levelling the score.

In less than a minute, Mount Royal and Alberta were even again.

For the second game in a row, 60 minutes of regulation would not be enough to provide a winner. Overtime was needed. 

Kaitlyn Ross made a few clutch saves in the five-minute sudden-death period, including a pad save off Natalie Kieser. 

However, Keiser would get another chance to end the game and this time she didn't miss.

After the Cougars went on a rush that left all three skaters deep in the Alberta zone, Keiser picked up the puck and skated all the way to the Mount Royal zone to fire a shot through the five-hole of Ross.

Despite the heartbreaking loss, the Cougars feel optimistic about their position heading into the holiday break.

"I couldn't be happier with where we're at heading into the second half," said Kiana McNinch following the overtime defeat. "We've proven we can beat any team and that gives us a lot of confidence."