McCarthy, Colby, Mwasalla score to pace Griffins to another 3-1 win, weekend sweep of Bisons

EDMONTON – The visitors made them work for it – particularly in a strong opening 25 minutes – but the MacEwan Griffins found a way to break through for another three-goal outburst and complete a weekend sweep over the Manitoba Bisons with a 3-1 win on Saturday.

Raeghan McCarthy scored her third goal of the weekend, Paige Colby found the game-winner on a corner kick and Grace Mwasalla put the exclamation point on the proceedings with a highlight-reel second-half bar down cracker.

It puts the Griffins atop the Canada West Prairie Division with six points.

"That feels great," said Colby, who was named player of the game for MacEwan. "Having our team come together and start strong and get two wins is awesome."

Manitoba had some early possession and also hemmed the Griffins in their own end early in Saturday's contest, but good teams always find a way.

"I really like the way we played," said Griffins head coach Dean Cordeiro. "Credit them, they made some adjustments. It took a bit of time to figure out and break down the first 25 minutes. It was a highly-contested battle between the teams, and we were able to break free."

The Griffins nearly scored eight minutes in when Alyx Henderson hit the crossbar and then they had a goal called back on an 18^th-minute corner kick as Sophie Lavallee's header was tipped in by Henderson on the second phase of the play, but officials ruled her offside.

"We didn't let it bother us, we stuck with it and finally broke through – guess who, Raeghan McCarthy again" said Cordeiro of the fifth-year veteran who scored twice on Friday in her first game with the Griffins in four years before getting her third of the weekend to open the scoring in the 35^th minute on Saturday. "Awesome ball by Kiera Inglis – her first career point with the Griffs."

Colby then curled a corner kick into the box in the 43^rd minute that went off Manitoba defender Chloe Morin's head and past keeper Holly Dyker.

"I'll take the goal, that was awesome," said the second-year midfielder. "I kind of just drilled it in and it worked out when they got their head on it."

The Griffins came out strong in the second half and were rewarded in the 60^th minute when Henderson's gorgeous cross from the 40-yard line into the box was volleyed home by Grace Mwasalla – bar down in highlight-reel fashion.

It's the 32^nd career regular season goal for Mwasalla, who is the active leader in Canada West (and program leader at MacEwan).

"That's just the quality that she brings," said Cordeiro of her strike. "Bar down – ain't nobody stopping that."

Manitoba certainly had some opportunities during the contest, such as when Paris Sidhu – alone on the back side off a corner kick in the 50^th – volleyed it wide.

Finally, the Bisons broke through in the 90^th minute to spoil a shared shutout between MacEwan goalkeepers Sabrina Alexander and Carly Uchacz, who made her Canada West debut coming in for the final 12:53.

Evelyn Lekivetz blasted an inspired free kick from 30 yards out under the bar. It's the second-straight game Manitoba scored on MacEwan in the final 10 minutes.

"The one takeaway that we need to improve on is it's two games in a row that we've conceded late on a set piece to break our shutout, but it's early days," said Cordeiro. "Those are moments we've got to learn. We took a foul we can't take there and credit their player – it was a helluva finish. Our GK had no chance at that. But the positive is we didn't allow any goals in the run of play in both games this weekend."

Alexander finished with five saves and has now stopped 12 of 13 shots she's faced so far this season.

Next up for the Griffins is a road trip to Calgary to meet the Dinos on Sept. 6 and the Mount Royal Cougars on Sept. 7.