OUA Playoff Preview: Top eight teams set to hit the ice in quest for the McCaw Cup
BURLINGTON, Ont. – The Guelph Gryphons are no stranger to success at the McCaw Cup, having ended their last two quests for the cup in victory, but a talented group of seven other squads will be looking to make their mark this postseason, as the first round is set to get underway.
The full schedule of the McCaw Cup, presented by CCM, first round action can be found HERE.
No. 8 Waterloo Warriors (12-11-1) vs. No. 1 Queen’s Gaels (17-3-4)
Queen’s has earned the No. 1 seed for a reason. Their conference-leading 52 point regular season is the product of several strong in-game components for the Gaels, as the Tricolour rank in the top three in several statistical categories. Queen’s ranks 3rd in goals per game (2.75) with a slick 112 assists to go along with that total, and the OUA’s leading point-getter Katrina Manoukarakis (15 G, 15 A) has been a key driver therein. Not only do they pass a lot, but they shoot a lot; peppering the opposition with over 30 shots per contest. Their ability to put the puck on net has translated into success in every facet of the attack, most notably on the powerplay. The Gaels ranks second with the player advantage (16.7%), but also extend their special teams success to the penalty kill, checking in with an OUA-best success rate of 95.1%. In net, goaltender Stephanie Pascal (1.33 GAA, .944 SV%) has been a steady presence for the Gaels, leading the way to overall team marks of just 1.53 GAA and .939 SV%, and with this balanced combination of offensive and defensive prowess, there’s no telling how far the Gaels can go.
On the other side of the ice are the Waterloo Warriors, who have positioned themselves in the middle of the talented OUA pack on both offense and defense. The black and gold enter play with an average of 2.08 goals per game, while allowing 2.16 per contest, but are able to find the most success when it comes to special teams. The Warriors have done well to not only stay out of the penalty box themselves – being short-handed an OUA-best 80 times on the year – but also are adept at drawing penalties, securing 105 opportunities this season (2nd in OUA). If the Warriors are able to continue this smart, disciplined style of play, then their five double-digit point-getters – led by Emma Pye’s 14 points and Stephanie Digness’ six goals - and their steady goaltending duo – buoyed by Stephanie Sluys (1.89 GAA, .929 SV%) – will certainly give the Waterloo squad a strong chance in their quest for a McCaw Cup.
Season Series:
Oct. 22: Queen’s 2 Waterloo 3
Feb. 3: Waterloo 4 Queen’s 1
No. 7 Brock Badgers (12-9-3) vs. No. 2 Guelph Gryphons (18-6-0)
The Gryphons rank first in the conference in both offense and defense, using their all-around game to settle in as the No. 2 seed in the OUA. When looking at their gifted goal-scorers, senior Kaitlin Lowy (15 G, 9 A) tied atop the OUA in goal scoring, and along with running mates Kelly Gribbons (12 G, 11 A) and Claire Merrick (7 G, 15 A), form one of the most potent trios the province has to offer. Backing their 111 goals on the season comes a defense that gave up just 36. Helping the Gryphs to such success has been the likes of Ashlee Lawrence and Katherine Bailey, but a key cog has been the play of Valerie Lamenta between the pipes. Guelph’s goaltender has been lights out in her 17 games this season, playing her way to a stingy 1.30 GAA (1st in OUA) and .943 SV%. They don’t take many penalties, but kill them off at a 90.1% success rate when short-handed, meaning that it will be tough for any opponent to earn the edge on the Gryphons during their push for a McCaw Cup title.
Entering as the first round foe for the Gryphons will be the Brock Badgers, who have found success in several facets this season. It certainly hasn’t been an easy task for the St. Catharines squad, as they have had to make the most saves in the OUA this season, but even with such a daunting shot total, Brock has maintained a 6th ranked goals against average (2.08). Doing her part in net is Jensen Murphy, who has maintained an impressive 1.98 GAA and .942 SV% in her 23 starts, and may very well have to be the difference-maker for the Badgers in their first round matchup. But while Brock will rely on Jensen to keep pucks out, they’ll also hope that senior Christina Ieradi can keep up her team-leading scoring efforts (11 G, 7 A) to break through the Gryphons’ stout defense.
Season Series:
Nov. 18: Guelph 0 Brock 1
Feb. 1: Brock 0 Guelph 1
No. 6 Toronto Varsity Blues (13-9-2) vs. No. 3 Western Mustangs (17-5-2)
The purple ponies will gallop into the postseason as the hottest team in the OUA, riding a six game winning streak to close out the regular season. Western has certainly been impressive during that stretch, but especially in their three February contests, wherein they surrendered just 0.65 goals per game to completely shut down their opposition. When looking at numbers like that, the goaltender surely plays a role, and the Mustangs have one of the OUA’s best between the pipes. Carmen Lasis will bring a top five goals against average into the postseason (1.48 GAA), along with a .0940 SV%, suggesting that finding the back of the net will be tough for Western’s postseason opposition. Helping the Mustangs to a 4th ranked offense, meanwhile, is leading scorer April Clark (12 G, 10 A). Clark has led a talented crew up front that has been the most successful on the powerplay, with a success rate of nearly 21%, but one that has also been just as strong on the penalty kill (2nd in OUA). The purple and white are a well-rounded group that should make for a tough out this postseason.
Hoping to secure the Round 1 upset, meanwhile, will be the Toronto Varsity Blues, who will bring the OUA’s No. 6 offense and No. 5 ranked defense into their first round matchup. Kassie Roach has been a mainstay up front for the Blues, playing her way to a 20-point campaign, but beyond the forwards, the Blues also receive strong offensive contributions from their defense. Half of Toronto’s top six point-getters this season come from the blue line, led by first year defender Gabrielle De Serres (2 G, 10 A). The Blues’ ability to have just about anyone on the ice chip in on the offensive end will be an asset in the postseason, but they’ll also need to stand tall on the defensive end. Toronto goaltender Madeline Albert helps the team check that box as well; however, as the first year puckstopper has led her team to a fifth ranked goals against average, notching personal marks of 1.32 GAA and an OUA-best .945 SV%.
Season Series:
Nov. 3: Toronto 2 Western 1
Jan. 6: Western 3 Toronto 2
No. 5 Ryerson Rams (15-7-2) vs. No. 4 Nipissing Lakers (16-6-2)
The Nipissing Lakers will enter the postseason as one of the most electric offensive units in the OUA. Tied with Guelph atop the standings in goals per game, the Lakers are built around putting the puck on net (31.7 shots per game) and have found great success doing so. Maria Dominico, who ranked 2nd in the conference in points (26) has been a key cog for the Lakers’ offensive attack, but Nipissing also rolls out an additional four skaters that have eclipsed the 15-point plateau this season. The duo of Jacqueline Rochefort (1.57 GAA, .924 SV%) and Danika Ranger (1.73 GAA, .933 SV%) have done well to keep the puck out this season, playing their way to a combined 4th ranked goals against average, but certainly, the team will need to showcase their impressive offense if they want to make a lengthy push for the McCaw Cup.
Doing battle with the Lakers will be the No. 5 seeded Ryerson Rams, who will rely on their top-five offense to be the difference-maker in their 15-win campaign. While the Rams have been strong on offense as a whole, they truly excel on the powerplay, entering play ranked third in the OUA (16.3%). If the Rams can continue to take advantage of such opportunities, they will be tough to stop, but the team will also need to find a way to limit their opposition when short-handed to round out the ever-important special teams play in the postseason. Providing the leading jolt to the offense will be a pair of top-five finishers in points, Kryshanda Green (10 G, 13 A) and Ailish Forfar (11 G, 12 A), who have been electric all season long, and should provide a continued boost to the team’s offensive push in the postseason.
Season Series:
Nov. 18: Ryerson 2 Nipissing 3
Feb. 2: Nipissing 0 Ryerson 2
