VICTORIA - Heather Lund scored the game-winning goal in the final minute of the opening half as the Alberta Pandas defeated the UVic Vikes 1-0 at Centennial Stadium on Sept. 17.

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With the loss, the Vikes fall to 1-1-1 on the season, while No. 3 nationally ranked Alberta improves to 3-0-0. UVic hosts Saskatchewan (2-1-0) on Sunday at 12 p.m. at Centennial Stadium. The Huskies are coming off a 2-1 win over Fraser Valley on Saturday. The game can be seen live at http://canadawest.tv, with live stats and a live chat session available.

"Heather Lund is probably the best goal scorer in the CIS. Our players worked very hard to make sure she did not get much of a step," said Vikes head coach #Tracy David#. "It's unfortunate that we drop three very valuable points."

The Vikes nearly opened the scoring midway through the first half when #Mallory Hackett# got the ball in a goalmouth scramble and drilled it toward the net. But Alberta's goalkeeper Kelti Biggs slid out to get a foot on it, stopping the ball to keep the game scoreless.

in the 45th minute, Lund scored the game's only goal, driving the ball into the top corner to net her fifth goal of season and change the momentum of the game. With the tally, Lund is just three goals away from the University of Alberta's career scoring record.

Despite controlling a lot of the play in the opening 45 minutes, generating a number of corner kicks and scoring opportunities, the Vikes trailed 1-0 at the halftime break.

"It's a big game-changer because it's right before the half. You never want to give away a goal in the last minute of the play going into the half," David said. "It was an unforced error on one of our players, #Emma Greig#. She tried to hit a long diagonal ball and then it came down our throat."

"They probably have the most potent offence in the country, so we have to make sure if they are going to score a goal that we make them work for it," David said. "We just sort of handed it to them."

The Pandas took the momentum and poured on the pressure in the second half. First, Elise Emmott from hit the crossbar three minutes into the frame when her shot just inside the 18-yard-box hit the crossbar.

Responding to Alberta's physical play in the first, the Vikes were much more aggressive in the second half. It nearly paid off in the 70th minute when a scoring chance and cross from #Lindsay Hoetzel# bounced off a Pandas defender forcing Biggs to come off her line to corral the ball.

Then, Hoetzel continued her fine play, deking out Biggs, the 2010 Canada West rookie of the year, and creating an open-net chance. But fullback Robyn Yuzdepski saved the day in 74th minute sliding in to block the ball and preserve the Pandas lead.

"Lindsay should have scored she ran around the goalkeeper and did everything right," David said.

Hoetzel had a third scoring chance off a corner-kick in the 87th minute which was caught by Biggs.