January 28, 2008
YORK DEFEATS TORONTO FOR FIRST TIME IN 11 YEARS, WHILE QUEEN'S UPSETS NO.3 GOLDEN HAWKS
York 4, Toronto 1
The York University Lions stunned the University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's hockey team with a 4-1 upset at Varsity Arena on Thursday night (Jan. 24).
The sixth-ranked Varsity Blues never got on track this night. Despite outshooting their cross-town rivals 32-25, the Blues could not beat Lions third-year goalie Megan Slumskie (Kitchener, Ont.) until the latter part of the third period. The Lions for their part capitalized on any and all opportunities that were presented, handily defeating the perennial powerhouse Blues.
Michelle Daniels (Scarborough, Ont.) scored the Lions first power play goal midway through the first period to give York an early 1-0 lead after one.
In a period that seemed be dominated by the Blue and White, York found ways to keep Toronto at bay and off the score sheet. Toronto had numerous chances that seemed to just miss or deflect wide. In what was shaping up to be a tight defensive game, changed quickly when Riley Edwards (Kenora, Ont.) tallied York's second power play goal of the night at 16:53, and just two minutes later, Danielle Beach (Port Perry, Ont.) would capitalize on a Blues turnover at the blue line and finish the 2-on-0 break to net her fourth goal of the season and put the visitors up by three, heading into the final period of play.
The Blues took to the ice in the third and came out pressing for anything to ignite a comeback. However, the Lions again showed resilience and made good on a Blues turnover in the neutral zone. Fifth-year forward Aurelea Gumiela (Oshawa, Ont.) picked up a loose puck, stepped over the blue line and snapped a wrist shot, which deflected off the Blues defender and past goalie Stephanie Lockert (Thunder Bay, Ont.).
Toronto finally got on the board at 8:39 of the third period, when Hamilton-native Annie Del Guidice converted a beautiful power-play give-and-go and whipped a shot past Slumskie's out-stretched glove.
This is the first time in 11 years that the Varsity Blues have lost to the York Lions. They have tied the Lions twice; 2-2 on Jan. 18, 2007 at York, and 2-2 on Jan. 23, 1999 at Varsity Arena. The Blues were last on the losing side of a Toronto-York match-up on February 16, 1997, when York defeated Toronto 3-2 (2OT) in the title game of the OUA championship.
Queen's 2, Laurier 0
The Queen's Golden Gaels used the fantastic goaltending of Melissa John of Unionville, Ont. as they shocked the OUA leading and No. 3 nationally ranked Laurier Golden Hawks 2-0 Friday night at the Strathcona Paper Centre. John made 41 saves in recording her second shutout of the season as the Gaels were outshot 13-2, 13-2 and 15-8 for a three period total of 41-12.
The opening period saw the two teams play things tight defensively with only two penalties called the entire frame.
In the second the Gaels got the only goal they would need on the power play with Laurier's Lauren Barch of Burlington, Ont. in the box for hooking at 15:03. 13 seconds into the penalty, Queen's defenceman Alison Bagg of Kingston pinched in from the blue line and took a pass from Victoria Kaufmann of Whitby, Ont. and snapped a shot into the top corner past Liz Knox of Stouffville, Ont. to make the score 1-0.
In the third period Queen's tried to protect the lead but the defending conference champions dominated on the forecheck playing almost the entire stanza in the Gaels zone. Laurier's best chance to tie came at the midway point when during a goal mouth scramble the puck slid between the legs of John but Queen's defenceman Shannon Smyth of Thornhill, Ont. swept the puck out before it could cross the line. The Golden Hawks maintained the pressure in the final moments but John repeatedly made quality stops and the Gaels iced the victory when Kaufmann shot the puck from her own blueline into the empty Laurier net with a second remaining.
The Gaels played the game without leading scorer Liz Kench of Gananoque, Ont. who was serving a one game suspension for a slash January 19th in Oshawa in their 3-3 tie with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks.
The win improves Queen's to 9-8-6 and moves them into a tie for fourth with the Windsor Lancers while Laurier falls to 19-2-1 but stays in first in the OUA
The York University Lions stunned the University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's hockey team with a 4-1 upset at Varsity Arena on Thursday night (Jan. 24).
The sixth-ranked Varsity Blues never got on track this night. Despite outshooting their cross-town rivals 32-25, the Blues could not beat Lions third-year goalie Megan Slumskie (Kitchener, Ont.) until the latter part of the third period. The Lions for their part capitalized on any and all opportunities that were presented, handily defeating the perennial powerhouse Blues.
Michelle Daniels (Scarborough, Ont.) scored the Lions first power play goal midway through the first period to give York an early 1-0 lead after one.
In a period that seemed be dominated by the Blue and White, York found ways to keep Toronto at bay and off the score sheet. Toronto had numerous chances that seemed to just miss or deflect wide. In what was shaping up to be a tight defensive game, changed quickly when Riley Edwards (Kenora, Ont.) tallied York's second power play goal of the night at 16:53, and just two minutes later, Danielle Beach (Port Perry, Ont.) would capitalize on a Blues turnover at the blue line and finish the 2-on-0 break to net her fourth goal of the season and put the visitors up by three, heading into the final period of play.
The Blues took to the ice in the third and came out pressing for anything to ignite a comeback. However, the Lions again showed resilience and made good on a Blues turnover in the neutral zone. Fifth-year forward Aurelea Gumiela (Oshawa, Ont.) picked up a loose puck, stepped over the blue line and snapped a wrist shot, which deflected off the Blues defender and past goalie Stephanie Lockert (Thunder Bay, Ont.).
Toronto finally got on the board at 8:39 of the third period, when Hamilton-native Annie Del Guidice converted a beautiful power-play give-and-go and whipped a shot past Slumskie's out-stretched glove.
This is the first time in 11 years that the Varsity Blues have lost to the York Lions. They have tied the Lions twice; 2-2 on Jan. 18, 2007 at York, and 2-2 on Jan. 23, 1999 at Varsity Arena. The Blues were last on the losing side of a Toronto-York match-up on February 16, 1997, when York defeated Toronto 3-2 (2OT) in the title game of the OUA championship.
Queen's 2, Laurier 0
The Queen's Golden Gaels used the fantastic goaltending of Melissa John of Unionville, Ont. as they shocked the OUA leading and No. 3 nationally ranked Laurier Golden Hawks 2-0 Friday night at the Strathcona Paper Centre. John made 41 saves in recording her second shutout of the season as the Gaels were outshot 13-2, 13-2 and 15-8 for a three period total of 41-12.
The opening period saw the two teams play things tight defensively with only two penalties called the entire frame.
In the second the Gaels got the only goal they would need on the power play with Laurier's Lauren Barch of Burlington, Ont. in the box for hooking at 15:03. 13 seconds into the penalty, Queen's defenceman Alison Bagg of Kingston pinched in from the blue line and took a pass from Victoria Kaufmann of Whitby, Ont. and snapped a shot into the top corner past Liz Knox of Stouffville, Ont. to make the score 1-0.
In the third period Queen's tried to protect the lead but the defending conference champions dominated on the forecheck playing almost the entire stanza in the Gaels zone. Laurier's best chance to tie came at the midway point when during a goal mouth scramble the puck slid between the legs of John but Queen's defenceman Shannon Smyth of Thornhill, Ont. swept the puck out before it could cross the line. The Golden Hawks maintained the pressure in the final moments but John repeatedly made quality stops and the Gaels iced the victory when Kaufmann shot the puck from her own blueline into the empty Laurier net with a second remaining.
The Gaels played the game without leading scorer Liz Kench of Gananoque, Ont. who was serving a one game suspension for a slash January 19th in Oshawa in their 3-3 tie with the University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks.
The win improves Queen's to 9-8-6 and moves them into a tie for fourth with the Windsor Lancers while Laurier falls to 19-2-1 but stays in first in the OUA
