Dana Vinge (Edmonton, 2nd), made 17 saves as the #2 ranked University of Alberta Pandas (21-3 Canada West, 27-4 overall) shutout the visiting Manitoba Bisons (18-4-2 Canada West, 20-7 overall) 2-0 in the opening game of the best-of-three Canada West Final Friday night in Edmonton.

Conference MVP and scoring leader Jennifer Newton (Norglenwold, AB, 4th) opened the scoring in the opening period as she converted a pass from behind the goal from Leah Copeland (Calgary, AB, 2nd) and beat Bisons netminder Stacey Corfield (Winnipeg, MB, 3rd) to give Alberta a 1-0 lead at 4:47 of the first.

The score remained 1-0 heading into the third with Alberta outshooting the ‘Herd 18-10.

Alberta got a lucky insurance goal early in the third period.

Cami Wooster (Edmonton, 3rd) attempted a centering pass out front that deflected in off of Bisons defenceman Andi Wilgosh (East St. Paul, MB, 1st) and past Corfield to give Alberta a 2-0 lead at 3:41 of the period.

Manitoba’s best chance to get a goal happened in the final four minutes as both Mia Mucci (Canmore, AB, 4th) and Alanna Donahue (Grand Cache, AB, 5th) of the Pandas were sent to the box, and the Bisons were given a 5-on-3.

Manitoba Head Coach Jon Rempel elected not to pull Corfield to make it a 6-on-3 and Vinge and the Pandas kept the Bisons at bay.

The Pandas outshot Manitoba 25-17 on the night, with both teams going 0-for-8 on the powerplay.

With Vinge’s shutout; Alberta has now pitched three straight shutouts against the Bisons in the Canada West Final, as the Pandas won 4-0 and 2-0 in the 2006-07 Conference Final.

Game Two of the series goes tomorrow night n Edmonton at 7:30 PM.

Both the two-time defending National Champion Pandas and the #5 ranked Bisons have already earned a berth to the 2008 Nationals that will be held in Ottawa March 7th to 10th