AROUND OUA: Mustangs defeat CIS No. 1 Gryphons in shootout
LONDON, Ont. – Anthea Lasis scored two goals and Stacey Scott netted the shootout winner as the Western Mustangs fought their way to a 3-2 victory over the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday night at Thompson Arena.
SCOREBOARD
Mustangs defeat CIS No. 1 Gryphons in shootout
LONDON, Ont. – Anthea Lasis scored two goals and Stacey Scott netted the shootout winner as the Western Mustangs fought their way to a 3-2 victory over the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday night at Thompson Arena.
"I thought we played well," said Mustangs head coach David Barrett. "Good effort and grit. Guelph is a good hockey team they have depth all through their line up and good goaltending."
"I'm very happy we got the result we got tonight."
The win ends the CIS No. 1 Gryphons eight-game winning streak and gives Western an 8-1-4-0 record, good for third place in the OUA standings heading into the December break. Guelph maintains their spot atop the standings, sitting only three points above Western and two higher than the second place Queen's Gaels.
The Mustangs were led Lasis, who scored both of Western's goals in regulation, and goaltender Kelly Campbell, who stopped 43 shots and two attempts in the shootout.
The first period was an even battle that featured action up and down the ice. After Guelph forward Kaitlin Lowy was whistled for body checking, the Mustang power play went to work. Kendra Broad found Lasis at the point after a good zone possession and the second year defender wristed a shot on net. The seeing-eye shot hit the post, and then ricocheted off the back of goaltender Valerie Lamenta and into the net. The Mustangs carried that 1-0 lead into the second period.
The second period was a scoreless affair, but the Mustangs carried the pace of the play. Western doubled the Gryphons shot total in the second stanza, 12-6.
"I thought our team came out and played strong," said Campbell "First and second period they didn't have a lot of chances, and our defence covered up."
The Gryphons found a way past Campbell early in the third. They tied the game with a power play goal of their own 2:33 into the final period. Guelph's leading scorer Averi Nooren controlled the puck, walked across the slot and roofed a shot over a Campbell.
Lasis' second power play goal seven minutes later gave the Mustangs the lead. The Mustang power play, which has struggled at times this season, really gelled against the Gryhpons. Scott and Lyndsay Kirkham picked up the helpers on the goal.
"I'm always pleased when the power play capitalizes," said Barrett. "Anthea got a couple quick wristers in from the blue line just released quickly and got in on net with traffic."
Following the 2-1 goal, the Gryphon stepped up the tempo, firing 15 shots at Campbell in the third period. The Mustangs played desperate defensive hockey to secure the win, but the pressure from the Gryphons ultimately proved to be too much.
With their goalie pulled, the Gryphons found the back of the net as Christine Grant fired a shot from the slot under Campbell's arm with 26 seconds left in the period.
The game would go to overtime, the first time the Mustangs have participated in extra hockey this year. Five minutes of four on four solved nothing, so the teams went to three on three.
The three on three action gave lots of room to skate and set up several odd man rushes for both teams. Both goaltenders were forced into making outstanding saves to keep the game going, and Campbell spoke for all goaltenders when describing the new overtime format.
"Three-on-three was interesting. I've never done that before," said Campbell. "Not a fan."
"You don't have a lot of time to practice 3-on-3's" said Barrett. "You can kind of provide some structure's and hope their instincts help them out."
A flurry of chances for both sides and some miraculous saves by Campbell and Lamenta forced the game to a deciding shootout.
Western scored on their second attempt, thanks to defenceman Katelyn Gosling, who put the puck home to give the Mustangs the lead. Campbell stopped both shooters she faced and Scott sealed the victory with a five-hole shot to beat Lamenta.
Campbell was stellar for the Mustangs all game but particularly in overtime, stopping several 2-on-1's and then the two breakaways in the shootout.
"She stoned them tonight," said Barrett of his All-Canadian goalie, "Especially in the overtime I think they got the better of us for a little bit."
With the Mustangs now done their games for the first half schedule, they'll now have some time off to rest up for the always intense second half.
"I think we have a good idea of where we stand and what we have to work on," said Barrett regarding where his team is heading into the break. "I think winning the last game going into Christmas is always a good thing."
Source: Western Mustangs
Windsor Lancers sweep weekend home series
The Windsor Lancers women's hockey team swept a pair of home games against the Brock Badgers and Queen's Gaels over the weekend at South Windsor Arena.
The Lancers got their weekend started with a 5-1 win over Brock Badgers on Friday night and followed that up with a 1-0 shut-out victory over the Queen's Gaels on Saturday afternoon.
Against Brock, the Lancers came out hard controlling the play of the game early on. It paid off early in the first on a power play when captain Erinn Noseworthy knocked in a rebound at 5:32 of the period.
The lead was very short lived as Brock's Christina Ieradi scored one back at 11:39 on a shot from the point that found its way through past the Lancer goaltender Ingrid Sandven.
Windsor came out just as strong in the second as they did in the first scoring two goals in the first five minutes to extend the lead to 3-1. The first goal was at 4:38 scored by Krystin Lawrence, while the second goal was scored on a breakaway just twenty-one second later at 4:59 by Shawna Lesperance.
The third was a lot of the same as the Lancers again struck with Lawrence's second of the game on the power play it make it a three goal lead. Jill Rops added an empty netter late in the period.
Sandven earned the win in net stopping 20 shots, while Jensen Murphy had 34 saves in the loss.
On Saturday, the Lancers got on the board first on a goal by Shawna Lesperance at 4:13 of the opening frame. The remainder of the period was strong as both of the teams played a hard, fast paced style.
The second period held both teams scoreless, but intense play went both ways throughout the period. The game came right down to wire, but Sandven came up huge in net to secure the shut-out and earn her second win of the weekend.
Sandven made 26 saves in the win, while Caitlyn Lohwnen made 27 saves for Queen's in the loss.
Windsor will now break for the holidays, and return to action on Saturday January 9th when they host the UOIT Ridgebacks at 4:00pm at South Windsor Arena.
Source: Windsor Lancers
Rams shut out by Lakers to finish 2015
TORONTO - The conclusion to the first semester for the Ryerson Rams women's hockey team was an excellent summary of their first 11 games this season. In their matchup against the Nipissing Lakers at the Mattamy Athletic Centre Saturday night, the Rams fired a lot of shots on the opposing goaltender but couldn't find the back of the net. Powerplay goals by Zosia Davis and Kayla Carter led the Lakers to a 2-0 victory.
"We put 40 shots on net and (had) some great quality chances," said Ryerson's head coach Lisa Haley following the game. "Usually that is enough to be able to get a few goals. It just hasn't gone our way this year when it comes to converting on our chances."
It was a goaltending battle all night on Mattamy Home Ice as Rams netminder Ally Sarna (Whitby, Ont.) and Nipissing's Jackie Rochefort were phenomenal. The two combined for 74 saves, a number in highlight reel fashion.
Following some four-on-four action, the Lakers capitalized on an abbreviated man advantage six minutes into the game. Davis' point shot found its way behind Sarna to give Nipissing the early 1-0 lead.
Both sides carried the play for stretches after Davis' first of the year but, Rochefort and Sarna were able shut the door whenever pucks came their way. The scoreline remained the same until another Lakers' powerplay midway through the third period. Carter took a pass from Carly Marchment in the slot and fired a beautiful backhand over a sprawling Sarna to put Nipissing in the driver's seat.
"Both of their goals came on the powerplay so I think they had a little bit more patience," said Haley. "I think special teams obviously dictated the outcome."
Rochefort confidently handled a flurry of Ryerson chances in the final few minutes to pick up her fifth shutout of the season. She finished with 40 saves. At the other end of the ice, Sarna stopped 34 of the 36 shots she faced.
The Lakers finished two for four on the man advantage while the Rams couldn't capitalize on their six powerplay opportunities.
"Again, I can't hammer it enough, special teams have got to be better," said second year forward Alex Rodriguez (Toronto, Ont.). "We had those opportunities… We just have to put the pucks in the net."
The win boosts Nipissing (6-1-3-3) into a tie with Waterloo for fifth in the OUA standings. The Rams fall to 1-0-9-1 and remain in last place.
Saturday night was the fifth time Ryerson has been shutout this season. In the 2015 portion of the schedule, they've scored 10 goals and surrendered 31.
As Rodriguez said after the loss, "it's definitely been a frustrating, bumpy first half."
The Rams currently sit 12 points out of a playoff spot but only have to look to last season for inspiration moving forward. A slow start to the year was followed by a 7-3-1 second semester to earn the team their first playoff berth in program history.
"We're hopeful we can pull the same trick as last year for sure," said Haley. "I think that the good news is that we have more than half of our season left. Thirteen games left and obviously every game is going to matter for us."
With the first semester's action wrapped up, players will now turn their attention to upcoming exams in December. Following lots of fun studying and a holiday break, Ryerson will head north looking for revenge early in 2016.
The Rams kick off the second semester against the Lakers on January 9th at Memorial Gardens. Puck drop is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. The following afternoon, Ryerson heads to Laurentian for a 1:50 p.m. start against the Voyageurs.
Source: Ryerson Rams
Blues end first half on a high note
Fourth-year forward Taylor Day scored two goals in leading the No. 5 nationally ranked University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's hockey team to a 3-1 victory over the Laurentian Voyageurs on Saturday night (Nov. 28) at Varsity Arena.
With the win, the Blues wrap up the first half of the season with a 6-2-1-3 (W-OTW-L-OTL) record, in fourth place in the OUA standings.
After a scoreless first period, Day opened the scoring on a breakaway just 2:17 into the second frame.
The Ilderton, Ont. native added her second of the game with 2:26 to go in the period and Toronto took a 2-0 lead after 40 minutes of action.
Laurentian got on the board just six seconds into the third period, scoring off the opening faceoff, but Toronto restored their two-goal advantage with a goal off the stick of Sonja Weidenfelder seven minutes later.
First-year goalie Valencia Yordanov posted 20 saves in the win.
The Varsity Blues are back in action in the new year as they host two exhibition games versus the York Lions and McGill Martlets, January 2-3, at Varsity Arena. Regular season action resumes on Friday, January 8 when Toronto travels to North Bay to take on the Nipissing Lakers.
Source: Toronto Varsity Blues
