February 17, 2014
WOMEN'S HOCKEY ROUNDUP: Double-overtime winner in game three lifts Toronto past Western
Saturday, February 15
Guelph 1 @ Waterloo 0
The Waterloo Warriors fought their hearts out to even their OUA quarter-final series with top-seeded Guelph but fell just short in a 1-0 loss on Saturday afternoon at the CIF arena eliminating them from the post-season.
Averi Nooren scored the only marker at 4:16 of the second period on a nice backhand shot and netminder Stephanie Nehring shut the door making 17 saves for the shutout victory. Starting goalie Rebecca Bouwhuis (Orillia) stood on her head for the black and gold turning aside 23 of the 24 shots she faced but did not receive any offensive help from those in front of her.
The win is Guelph's 14th straight including 12 straight to close out the regular season as the number one seed.
The game didn't come without quality chances from Waterloo as Carolyn Burke (Mississauga) had several opportunities including two 2-on-1's with linemate Marissa Redmond(Ajax) but the two sophomore forwards could not connect for a goal.
Defenceman Bailey Bradt (Ilderton) also had several chances to find net including a point blank blast from the point that was eaten up by Nehring in the late going of the third.
"It was another up and down season but I am extremely proud of the effort our girls put forth against one of the top teams in the country," mentioned head coach Shaun Reagan. "To give up only four goals [including an empty netter] against that team shows our bright future and I remain optimistic for our young team moving forward."
Guelph will await their opponent for the OUA semifinals which gets underway next week.
Source: Waterloo Sports Info
Toronto 2 @ Western 3
LONDON, Ont. – A strong second period, and a three-point game from Katelyn Gosling, helped the Western Mustangs women's hockey team overtake the Toronto Varsity Blues with a 3-2 win on Saturday afternoon at Thompson Arena in game two of their OUA Quarterfinal series.
After dropping a heartbreaker to the Varsity Blues in triple overtime on Wednesday the Mustangs returned to the ice for the second game of the best-of-three series in their home arena in what could have been the last game of their 2013-14 season.
Toronto entered the game with a 1-0 lead in the series and was first on the scoreboard after game one hero Alie Brind'Amour-McClure put the Blues up by one under the ten-minute mark in the first period with a power play goal. It was end-to-end action in the opening frame with both teams fighting to keep possession of the puck as the Mustangs fought to eliminate the early deficit. A point shot from Brianna Iazzolino almost made it past a scramble in front of the net with a minute left in the first period but Toronto goaltender Nicole Kesteris would make the stop, one of eight shots that she would turn away in the period as the Varsity Blues outshot the Mustangs by three.
After Wednesday's goalie battle that proved why Kesteris and Western netminder Kelly Campbell are two of the top goaltenders in the OUA, recording 33 and 30 respective saves on the night, Game 2 was slightly different with the purple and white outshooting their opponents 30-21 to keep the pressure on Kesteris.
The second period saw a decided change in momentum as the Mustangs skated hard in enemy territory, firing off five shots in the first five minutes of the frame. Their persistent effort paid of 12 minutes in when the Mustangs got past Kesteris with a shot from the corner by Katelyn Gosling off of assists from Marlow Pecora and Cassidy Gosling. It was almost 2-1 for the Mustangs a short time later when a goal was disallowed after the officials determined the puck to have crossed the goal line after the whistle, but the Western squad would get their goal with just a minute left in the frame as Carly Rolph notched the Mustangs second power play marker with the assists going to Katelyn Gosling and Iazzolino. The second period belonged to the Mustangs as they outshot the Varsity Blues with 13 attempts and two goals while Campbell turned away all six shots she faced in the frame to give the purple and white a 2-1 lead heading into the third.
Western head coach Chris Higgins was pleased with his team's performance in the second period and how they responded from an early one-goal deficit.
"They got the first goal, they capitalized on our mistake on the face-off," said Higgins. "Then we got it back when we tied it up in the second and we just got stronger and stronger. When they took that unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the second I thought, 'these guys are getting frustrated.' That was a really good sign."
Once again it was the Mustangs playing aggressive in the Toronto end as the final frame began with the purple and white leading by one and working hard to increase the lead. Western notched what would stand as the game-winner just under three minutes into the third as Sydney Kidd scored the team's only full-strength goal from Katelyn Gosling and Brittany Clapham to extend the Mustangs lead to two. Western wouldn't keep possession of the two-goal insurance for long as Brind'Amour-McClure scored her second of the game just over a minute later but it wouldn't be enough as the Mustangs held on through the final minutes to end the game with a 3-2 victory.
Heading into the deciding game of the series with both teams tied at one game apiece Higgins is confident in his team against a familiar Toronto opponent. "You know what, in Game 3 there is no coaching," he said after the win. "You get on the ice and you play your best, that's what it's going to come down to. We don't care who else is on the ice. We put our girls on and we go from there."
Game 3 will take place on at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 16 at Varsity Arena with the winner advancing to the OUA Semi-Finals.
Source: Western Sports Info
Laurier 5 @ UOIT 4 (2OT)
OSHAWA, Ont. (February 15, 2014) - Tammy Freiburger of Wingham, Ont., scored the series-winning goal in double overtime to lift the No. 4 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's hockey team past the UOIT Ridgebacks 5-4 on Saturday night at the Campus Ice Centre.
The fourth year forward converted on a powerplay opportunity five minutes and 26 seconds into the second overtime period to give Laurier the sweep of their best-of-three quarter-final series against the Ridgebacks.
The goal came after a wild sequence in which it appeared Laurier had won the game just 36 seconds earlier. However, the officials waved off the goal and the ensuing scrum resulted in a man-advantage for the purple and gold, which they were able to convert.
The Hawks got to overtime thanks to goals in regulation from Megan Howe of Stratford, Ont., Blair Connelly of Amherstburg, Ont., Robyn Degagne of North Bay, Ont., and Devon Skeats of Whitby, Ont. Connelly and Degagne both added a pair of assists in the game for three point nights while Freiburger also had a helper to finish the game with two points.
All four Laurier goals came before the 6:36 mark of the second period but they didn't make life easy for themselves in trying to advance. The Hawks surrendered a 4-1 lead over the final 23 minutes of regulation as UOIT got goals from Samantha Forchielli of Hamilton, Melissa Berney of Bowmanville, Ont., and Nicole LoPresti of Hamilton, to send the game to overtime.
Sarah Worthington of Whitby, Ont., had the Ridgebacks other goal while also chipping in two assists.
The high scoring affair meant a rough night for both starting goalies in this game. Laurier's Amanda Smith of Burlington, Ont., got the start but was pulled after allowing three goals on 15 shots. She was replaced by Kayla Brown of Lively, Ont., who picked up the victory after stopping 12 of 13 shots through the third period and both overtimes.
As for UOIT, Tori Campbell of Lethbridge, Alta., had a rough game, allowing four goals on 16 shots. Her replacement, Cassie Charette of Ottawa, kept her team in the game but ultimately suffered the loss after making 22 of 23 saves.
Special teams proved to be a difference-maker for Laurier on the night as their powerplay was sharp. The Hawks converted three of their six opportunities in the game to help propel them into the next round.
Laurier will now prepare to face either the No. 8 Toronto Varsity Blues or the No. 9 Queen's Gaels in the OUA semifinals. Stay tuned to laurierathletics.com for all your playoff information.
Source: Laurier Sports Info
Windsor 2 @ Queen’s 3 (2OT)
KINGSTON, Ont. (February 15, 2014) - The No. 9 Queen's Gaels swept their best-of-three series over the Windsor Lancers winning game two 3-2 in double overtime on a goal from Kyla Crouse (Mount Brydges, Ont.) on Saturday night at the Memorial Centre in Kingston.
Windsor put on the offensive pressure early with much of the play in the Gaels end to start the period. The OUA leading scorer Jenny MacKnight put Windsor up 1-0 on a great individual effort. After a deke around a Gaels defender she fired a shot up over the glove of Gaels starting netminder Mel Dodd-Moher (Stittsville, Ont.) to put the Lancers ahead 1-0.
Minutes later the Gaels found themselves on the power play and Windsor was called for a second penalty giving the Gaels a five on three advantage for just over 30 seconds. The Gaels responded as Mary Coughlin fired a point shot and Courtenay Jacklin (Regina) tipped the puck past Marissa Kozovski.
Just over five minutes later the Gaels took their first lead of the game as Megan Farrell (Barrie, Ont.) made a nifty backhanded pass out front to a wide open Jessica Wakefield (Lucan, Ont.) who fired a wrister top shelf above the blocker of Kozovski. The Lancers led in shots 10-7 after the opening frame.
Special teams continued to play a big role in the game in the second period. The Gaels had a four minute power play but it was Windsor's great defensive play that told the tale as they killed off the entire attack to keep themselves in the game.
Neither team was able to score in the second and both teams added another seven shots to their total.
In the third the Lancers got even as Kayla Dodson got her first of the playoffs at 14:48. The two teams headed to overtime for the first time in the series.
The Gaels had their chances in the opening frame and had a five on three power play chance later in the period. The Lancers were able to keep the game tied and force double overtime.
Queen's started up with just over a minute remaining on their power play in the second and the Lancers once again held on to kill off the penalty.
Windsor then took over offensively with the play almost entirely in the Gaels end. Dodd-Moher turned aside the Lancers and kept her team in the game however.
At 6:33 of overtime Wakefield found Crouse open in the slot and she made no mistake to give the Gaels the series sweep. Dodd-Moher finished with 23 saves for the win.
The Gaels were without their captain and leading scorer Morgan McHaffie (Guelph, Ont.) who is expected to be back for the semi-final series.
Queen's now advances to the OUA semifinal where they wil take on either Guelph or Laurier depending on the outcome of Toronto and Western's game three matchup Sunday.
Source: Queen's Sports Info
Sunday, February 16
Western 2 @ Toronto 3 (2OT)
Rookie defenceman Rebecca Bourgeois scored 11:32 into the second overtime period to lead the No. 8 University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's hockey team to a 3-2 win over the Western Mustangs in Game 3 of the OUA quarter-final series on Sunday night at Varsity Arena.
With the win, the Blues advance to the OUA semifinals for the first time since 2008 and will take on the second-seeded and No. 4 Laurier Golden Hawks in a best-of-three series next week.
Western opened the scoring on their first powerplay chance of the game as Tara Cation's point shot bounced off the traffic in front and into the net. The Mustangs led 1-0 after the first.
The Blues evened the score with four minutes to go in the second period when Marlie McLaughlin snet a shot from the point through traffic and into the net.
That gave Toronto life as just two minutes later Courtney Brind'Amour-McClure fed Amanda Ricker the puck and she slid it through Campbell's legs to give U of T a 2-1 lead heading into the final frame.
Western tied the game halfway through the third period as Brittany Clapham banged in a Katelyn Goslin rebound in the powerplay and the two teams needed overtime for the second time in this series to decide the winner.
With 8:28 to go in the second overtime period, Bourgeois received a D-to-D pass from Stacey Oue and sent the puck through traffic and past Campbell for the game-winner.
Veteran netminder Nicole Kesteris had 25 saves in the win, while Campbell posted 50 in the loss.
Source: Toronto Sports Info
Guelph 1 @ Waterloo 0
The Waterloo Warriors fought their hearts out to even their OUA quarter-final series with top-seeded Guelph but fell just short in a 1-0 loss on Saturday afternoon at the CIF arena eliminating them from the post-season.
Averi Nooren scored the only marker at 4:16 of the second period on a nice backhand shot and netminder Stephanie Nehring shut the door making 17 saves for the shutout victory. Starting goalie Rebecca Bouwhuis (Orillia) stood on her head for the black and gold turning aside 23 of the 24 shots she faced but did not receive any offensive help from those in front of her.
The win is Guelph's 14th straight including 12 straight to close out the regular season as the number one seed.
The game didn't come without quality chances from Waterloo as Carolyn Burke (Mississauga) had several opportunities including two 2-on-1's with linemate Marissa Redmond(Ajax) but the two sophomore forwards could not connect for a goal.
Defenceman Bailey Bradt (Ilderton) also had several chances to find net including a point blank blast from the point that was eaten up by Nehring in the late going of the third.
"It was another up and down season but I am extremely proud of the effort our girls put forth against one of the top teams in the country," mentioned head coach Shaun Reagan. "To give up only four goals [including an empty netter] against that team shows our bright future and I remain optimistic for our young team moving forward."
Guelph will await their opponent for the OUA semifinals which gets underway next week.
Source: Waterloo Sports Info
Toronto 2 @ Western 3
LONDON, Ont. – A strong second period, and a three-point game from Katelyn Gosling, helped the Western Mustangs women's hockey team overtake the Toronto Varsity Blues with a 3-2 win on Saturday afternoon at Thompson Arena in game two of their OUA Quarterfinal series.
After dropping a heartbreaker to the Varsity Blues in triple overtime on Wednesday the Mustangs returned to the ice for the second game of the best-of-three series in their home arena in what could have been the last game of their 2013-14 season.
Toronto entered the game with a 1-0 lead in the series and was first on the scoreboard after game one hero Alie Brind'Amour-McClure put the Blues up by one under the ten-minute mark in the first period with a power play goal. It was end-to-end action in the opening frame with both teams fighting to keep possession of the puck as the Mustangs fought to eliminate the early deficit. A point shot from Brianna Iazzolino almost made it past a scramble in front of the net with a minute left in the first period but Toronto goaltender Nicole Kesteris would make the stop, one of eight shots that she would turn away in the period as the Varsity Blues outshot the Mustangs by three.
After Wednesday's goalie battle that proved why Kesteris and Western netminder Kelly Campbell are two of the top goaltenders in the OUA, recording 33 and 30 respective saves on the night, Game 2 was slightly different with the purple and white outshooting their opponents 30-21 to keep the pressure on Kesteris.
The second period saw a decided change in momentum as the Mustangs skated hard in enemy territory, firing off five shots in the first five minutes of the frame. Their persistent effort paid of 12 minutes in when the Mustangs got past Kesteris with a shot from the corner by Katelyn Gosling off of assists from Marlow Pecora and Cassidy Gosling. It was almost 2-1 for the Mustangs a short time later when a goal was disallowed after the officials determined the puck to have crossed the goal line after the whistle, but the Western squad would get their goal with just a minute left in the frame as Carly Rolph notched the Mustangs second power play marker with the assists going to Katelyn Gosling and Iazzolino. The second period belonged to the Mustangs as they outshot the Varsity Blues with 13 attempts and two goals while Campbell turned away all six shots she faced in the frame to give the purple and white a 2-1 lead heading into the third.
Western head coach Chris Higgins was pleased with his team's performance in the second period and how they responded from an early one-goal deficit.
"They got the first goal, they capitalized on our mistake on the face-off," said Higgins. "Then we got it back when we tied it up in the second and we just got stronger and stronger. When they took that unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the second I thought, 'these guys are getting frustrated.' That was a really good sign."
Once again it was the Mustangs playing aggressive in the Toronto end as the final frame began with the purple and white leading by one and working hard to increase the lead. Western notched what would stand as the game-winner just under three minutes into the third as Sydney Kidd scored the team's only full-strength goal from Katelyn Gosling and Brittany Clapham to extend the Mustangs lead to two. Western wouldn't keep possession of the two-goal insurance for long as Brind'Amour-McClure scored her second of the game just over a minute later but it wouldn't be enough as the Mustangs held on through the final minutes to end the game with a 3-2 victory.
Heading into the deciding game of the series with both teams tied at one game apiece Higgins is confident in his team against a familiar Toronto opponent. "You know what, in Game 3 there is no coaching," he said after the win. "You get on the ice and you play your best, that's what it's going to come down to. We don't care who else is on the ice. We put our girls on and we go from there."
Game 3 will take place on at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 16 at Varsity Arena with the winner advancing to the OUA Semi-Finals.
Source: Western Sports Info
Laurier 5 @ UOIT 4 (2OT)
OSHAWA, Ont. (February 15, 2014) - Tammy Freiburger of Wingham, Ont., scored the series-winning goal in double overtime to lift the No. 4 Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks women's hockey team past the UOIT Ridgebacks 5-4 on Saturday night at the Campus Ice Centre.
The fourth year forward converted on a powerplay opportunity five minutes and 26 seconds into the second overtime period to give Laurier the sweep of their best-of-three quarter-final series against the Ridgebacks.
The goal came after a wild sequence in which it appeared Laurier had won the game just 36 seconds earlier. However, the officials waved off the goal and the ensuing scrum resulted in a man-advantage for the purple and gold, which they were able to convert.
The Hawks got to overtime thanks to goals in regulation from Megan Howe of Stratford, Ont., Blair Connelly of Amherstburg, Ont., Robyn Degagne of North Bay, Ont., and Devon Skeats of Whitby, Ont. Connelly and Degagne both added a pair of assists in the game for three point nights while Freiburger also had a helper to finish the game with two points.
All four Laurier goals came before the 6:36 mark of the second period but they didn't make life easy for themselves in trying to advance. The Hawks surrendered a 4-1 lead over the final 23 minutes of regulation as UOIT got goals from Samantha Forchielli of Hamilton, Melissa Berney of Bowmanville, Ont., and Nicole LoPresti of Hamilton, to send the game to overtime.
Sarah Worthington of Whitby, Ont., had the Ridgebacks other goal while also chipping in two assists.
The high scoring affair meant a rough night for both starting goalies in this game. Laurier's Amanda Smith of Burlington, Ont., got the start but was pulled after allowing three goals on 15 shots. She was replaced by Kayla Brown of Lively, Ont., who picked up the victory after stopping 12 of 13 shots through the third period and both overtimes.
As for UOIT, Tori Campbell of Lethbridge, Alta., had a rough game, allowing four goals on 16 shots. Her replacement, Cassie Charette of Ottawa, kept her team in the game but ultimately suffered the loss after making 22 of 23 saves.
Special teams proved to be a difference-maker for Laurier on the night as their powerplay was sharp. The Hawks converted three of their six opportunities in the game to help propel them into the next round.
Laurier will now prepare to face either the No. 8 Toronto Varsity Blues or the No. 9 Queen's Gaels in the OUA semifinals. Stay tuned to laurierathletics.com for all your playoff information.
Source: Laurier Sports Info
Windsor 2 @ Queen’s 3 (2OT)
KINGSTON, Ont. (February 15, 2014) - The No. 9 Queen's Gaels swept their best-of-three series over the Windsor Lancers winning game two 3-2 in double overtime on a goal from Kyla Crouse (Mount Brydges, Ont.) on Saturday night at the Memorial Centre in Kingston.
Windsor put on the offensive pressure early with much of the play in the Gaels end to start the period. The OUA leading scorer Jenny MacKnight put Windsor up 1-0 on a great individual effort. After a deke around a Gaels defender she fired a shot up over the glove of Gaels starting netminder Mel Dodd-Moher (Stittsville, Ont.) to put the Lancers ahead 1-0.
Minutes later the Gaels found themselves on the power play and Windsor was called for a second penalty giving the Gaels a five on three advantage for just over 30 seconds. The Gaels responded as Mary Coughlin fired a point shot and Courtenay Jacklin (Regina) tipped the puck past Marissa Kozovski.
Just over five minutes later the Gaels took their first lead of the game as Megan Farrell (Barrie, Ont.) made a nifty backhanded pass out front to a wide open Jessica Wakefield (Lucan, Ont.) who fired a wrister top shelf above the blocker of Kozovski. The Lancers led in shots 10-7 after the opening frame.
Special teams continued to play a big role in the game in the second period. The Gaels had a four minute power play but it was Windsor's great defensive play that told the tale as they killed off the entire attack to keep themselves in the game.
Neither team was able to score in the second and both teams added another seven shots to their total.
In the third the Lancers got even as Kayla Dodson got her first of the playoffs at 14:48. The two teams headed to overtime for the first time in the series.
The Gaels had their chances in the opening frame and had a five on three power play chance later in the period. The Lancers were able to keep the game tied and force double overtime.
Queen's started up with just over a minute remaining on their power play in the second and the Lancers once again held on to kill off the penalty.
Windsor then took over offensively with the play almost entirely in the Gaels end. Dodd-Moher turned aside the Lancers and kept her team in the game however.
At 6:33 of overtime Wakefield found Crouse open in the slot and she made no mistake to give the Gaels the series sweep. Dodd-Moher finished with 23 saves for the win.
The Gaels were without their captain and leading scorer Morgan McHaffie (Guelph, Ont.) who is expected to be back for the semi-final series.
Queen's now advances to the OUA semifinal where they wil take on either Guelph or Laurier depending on the outcome of Toronto and Western's game three matchup Sunday.
Source: Queen's Sports Info
Sunday, February 16
Western 2 @ Toronto 3 (2OT)
Rookie defenceman Rebecca Bourgeois scored 11:32 into the second overtime period to lead the No. 8 University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's hockey team to a 3-2 win over the Western Mustangs in Game 3 of the OUA quarter-final series on Sunday night at Varsity Arena.
With the win, the Blues advance to the OUA semifinals for the first time since 2008 and will take on the second-seeded and No. 4 Laurier Golden Hawks in a best-of-three series next week.
Western opened the scoring on their first powerplay chance of the game as Tara Cation's point shot bounced off the traffic in front and into the net. The Mustangs led 1-0 after the first.
The Blues evened the score with four minutes to go in the second period when Marlie McLaughlin snet a shot from the point through traffic and into the net.
That gave Toronto life as just two minutes later Courtney Brind'Amour-McClure fed Amanda Ricker the puck and she slid it through Campbell's legs to give U of T a 2-1 lead heading into the final frame.
Western tied the game halfway through the third period as Brittany Clapham banged in a Katelyn Goslin rebound in the powerplay and the two teams needed overtime for the second time in this series to decide the winner.
With 8:28 to go in the second overtime period, Bourgeois received a D-to-D pass from Stacey Oue and sent the puck through traffic and past Campbell for the game-winner.
Veteran netminder Nicole Kesteris had 25 saves in the win, while Campbell posted 50 in the loss.
Source: Toronto Sports Info
