LAURIER TO PLAY FOR BRONZE AT CIS WOMEN'S HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIP
The Laurier Golden Hawks started their Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) women’s ice hockey championship showcasing why they are one of the best programs in the country this weekend. Fiona Aiston (Ottawa, Ontario) scored a pair of first period goals, while the Golden Hawks blanked the tournament host Ottawa Gee-Gees 5-0 Friday night the University of Ottawa Sports Complex.
"Fiona's speed and leadership were integral to our victory tonight, as she helped stake us to a very big lead," said Laurier head coach Rick Osborne. "We beat a very good team tonight by playing an extremely good game."
Aiston opened the scoring at 11:43 in the first period on the powerplay when she took a cross-crease pass from captain Laurissa Kenworthy (Newmarket, Ontario). Less than three minutes later, after capitalizing on a Gee-Gees error in the defensive zone, scored her second of the night to put the Hawks up 2-0. The turn over was just the beginning of Ottawa’s problems on the night as they went 0-for-8 on the powerplay, and had difficulty generating any offensive momentum over a dominate Laurier squad.
"We had a lot of difficulty tonight on the powerplay and that was the difference in my opinion," said Gee-Gees head coach Shelley Coolidge. "We just passed up too many opportunities tonight."
Kenworthy chased Gee-Gees goaltender Julie Lalonde (Ottawa, Ontario) from the game with a powerplay goal at 6:22 of the second period. Andrea Ironside (Collingwood, Ontario) rounded out the scoring for the Golden Hawks scoring two even strength markers to put the game out of reach for the home team. Laurier netminder Morgan Weilgosz (Dorchester, Ontario) made 17 saves in the contest, earning her first career post season shut out.
Laurier 2, Alberta 4
Three goals in less than four minutes proved to be the undoing for the Laurier Golden Hawks as the defending CIS champion Alberta Pandas doubled-up the Golden Hawks 4-2 Sunday to advance to Monday night's championship at the 2007 smart Canada CIS women's hockey championship at the University of Ottawa Sports Complex.
The Pandas drew first blood 4:48 into the contest as Kaye London redirected an Alanna Donahue point shot past Laurier starting goaltender Morgan Wielgosz (Dorchester, Ontario).
The score remained that way through the middle portion of the second period due in large part to the outstanding goaltending of Alberta netminder Holly Tarleton who finished the game with 17 saves. The Lashburn, Sask. native made several keys stops on an extended Laurier powerplay early in the second, including a sensational save against Laurissa Kenworthy (Newmarket, Ontario) on a 3-on-0 breakaway.
That shifted the momentum in Alberta's favour as the Pandas blew open the game over a 3:26 span.
"Coming off an extended 5-on-3, Holly made an incredible stop on Laurier's top player," said Pandas head coach Howie Draper. "If I could identify the turning point of the contest, then that was it."
Midway through the second, Barry caught Wielgosz and the rest of the Hawks off guard when she picked off a clearing pass on a Laurier line change and sent a long low shot towards the goal that caught the netminder's right pad and redirected into the cage. 1:20 later, the Pandas' Jenna Barber banged home a rebound in tight to send Wielgosz to the showers.
Liz Knox (Stouffville, Ontario) came into relieve Wielgosz, but suffered a similar fate as Podloski potted her first of the tournament on the powerplay at 14:36. Tarleton's shutout bid was spoiled late in the stanza as Fionia Aiston (Ottawa, Ontario) scored her third goal in two games with 1:13 to play in the period. Laurier would cut the Alberta lead in half on a third period goal by Meschino (Toronto, Ontario), but it was too little, too late.
Laurier will now face the Manitoba Bisons in the Bronze Medal game on Monday at 2 pm.
(With files from Ottawa Gee-Gees, Sports Information)