Voyageurs top No. 1 Gryphons to force Game 3
On Saturday afternoon, the Laurentian women’s hockey team tied their playoff series against Canada’s number one team Guelph, at one game a piece with a 3-2 victory.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Guelph
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
|
Laurentian
|
0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
On Saturday afternoon, the Laurentian women's hockey team tied their playoff series against Canada's number one team Guelph, at one game a piece with a 3-2 victory.
After Laurentian lost an overtime thriller on Wednesday, the Voyageurs were in pursuit of retribution. The first period had no scoring action, however the Voyageurs were in a solid position after killing off two penalties. The first period ended scoreless, with Guelph leading 10-8 in shots.
The second period is where the Voyageurs turned it up a notch. Halfway through the period at 10:32, Morgan McCann scored the first goal of her OUA career – and it was huge. McCann's goal gave Laurentian the momentum and the 1-0 lead.
Six minutes later, the Voyageurs had a goal called off. The girls were not phased, however, and Taylor Weber put the Voyageurs up 2-0 shortly after at 17:06. The second period would conclude with the Voyageurs up 2-0 and carrying the momentum of the game.
The intensity of the game continued to increase in the third period. At 8:01, on the power play, Laurentian was able to score again on the number one team in Canada. Ellery Veerman stood her ground at the top of the crease and was able to redirect a pass from McCauley Carr into the open side of the net to give the Voyageurs a 3-0 lead.
In desperation mode, the Gryphons began to pour it on. With just over five minutes left, Guelphs Kaitlin Lowy was able to beat the Laurentian defenders and cut across the ice on Emily Toffoli and score to bring the Gryphons within two.
Again, with 1:26 left in the game, Guelph forward Jessica Pinkerton would score to inch closer to Laurentian.
That would be the closest the Gryphons would come to tying the game, as exceptional defence in the dying minute by Laurentian would stifle any Guelph attempt at a comeback. Saturday's victory tied the series at 1-1, and the third and final game will be tomorrow, Sunday, February 28th.
At 2:00PM tomorrow, the Voyageurs will look to upset the top team in Canada in their first playoff appearance in the new era of Laurentian hockey. Fans can catch the action on www.oua.tv
Source: Laurentian Voyageurs
Team Stats
| Game Statistics | Laurentian | Guelph |
|---|---|---|
| PowerPlays | 1 for 2 | 0 for 3 |
| Shorthanded Goals | 0 | 0 |
| Penalties (min) | 3 (6) | 2 (4) |
| Shots on Goal | 26 | 31 |
| Face Offs Won | 0 | 0 |
