The University of Regina's women's soccer team took Victoria the distance on Friday afternoon in a Canada West play-in game in Edmonton, but the Vikes scored all five of their penalty kicks to secure a spot in Sunday's quarterfinal match against MacEwan.

The match was played in a fierce northwest wind which severely affected play. After 120 minutes of scoreless play in the gale, it went to a five-round shootout. Nine of the 10 shots were successful, with the only save made by Victoria's Puck Loewes as she dove to her left to stop an attempt by Regina's Olivia Gables in the third round.

Victoria's Brea Christie scored the winning goal in the fifth round to send the Vikes into the next round.

"We are very proud of the fight, energy, and utter commitment every one of our players gave today in a highly competitive match under adverse conditions," Cougars head coach Bob Maltman said. "The elements played a factor in the match for both teams but were handled with great persistence by our team. We're obviously disappointed after giving so much for 120 minutes, but we will dust ourselves off and build from the growth we have shown as players and as a team."

The Cougars had the wind at their backs in the first half, but Victoria worked with the wind in the second half and again to start the extra session. Regina had the wind for the final 15 minutes of the contest.

Not surprisingly, both teams had their best chances to score when they were heading towards the south goal. The Cougars rang one off the cross bar in the seventh minute off a Lauren Petras header and also generated some opportunities late in the second half of extra time. Victoria's Kiara Kilbey knocked a shot wide from in the box in the 71st minute and the Vikes also hit a cross bar off a free kick just before injury time in the second half, but their best opportunity of the game came a few minutes into extra time. Kilbey got through behind the U of R back line in the 96th minute, but Regina keeper Kylie Bolton was up to the task and made the save to keep it 0-0.

Victoria ended up with 14 shots, seven of which were on net. The Cougars finished attempted 11 shots, four of them on target.

The game marked the last time in a U of R uniform for five fifth-year players including Jet Davies, Kirsten Finley, Sydney Langen, Cassie Longmuir, and Brigit Sinaga. Fourth-year players Lauren Petras, Brooke Schlossarek, and Savannah Williams are also expected to graduate this year.

"Today's result will not diminish each of these great women and what these student-athletes have given to our team and the University," Maltman said. "I am so proud of their contributions throughout the season and today. And to our younger players, the growth they have made and experience gained from today's match will give them a great incentive to come back stronger – beginning next week!"

The shootout was opened up by Bolton herself, who made no mistake to give the Cougars an early lead. Taylor Bubnick, Finley, and Petras also scored for Regina in the shootout.

NOTES: Friday's match marks just the second time in program history that the Cougars have gone into penalty kicks ... the only other time was back on Oct. 28, 2012 when the Cougars defeated Saskatchewan to advance to the Canada West Final Four.