CIS women's hockey Sunday roundup: Blues battle hard to beat No. 6 Badgers

A hat trick by UdeM's Kim Deschenes (Saint-Quentin, N.B.), including her game-winning powerplay goal in the third, led the Carabins to victory.

With the loss, Carleton's record drops to 3-6-2 for fourth place in the RSEQ.

Raven Claudia Bergeron (Drummondville, Que.) opened the scoring on the powerplay three minutes into the first. Midway through the frame, Kelsey Vander Veen (Lucknow, Ont.) gave Carleton a 2-0 lead. Deschenes beat Ravens goalie Tamber Tisdale (Red Deer, Alta.) before the period was over to make it a one-goal game heading into the second.

Six minutes into the second Victoria Gouge (Brampton, Ont.) regained Carleton's two-goal lead with a powerplay marker. Bergeron recorded an assist, giving her six points in two games. It proved to be the only goal of the second period.

Deschenes scored a shorthanded goal less than 30 seconds into the third before Caroline Martin-Guay (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.) tied the game at three. Less than a minute later, Deschenes scored her third of the game, giving UdeM the 4-3 victory.

The Ravens will look to bounce back from the loss when they return to Montreal on Jan. 16, this time to face the Concordia University Stingers at 3 p.m.

Source: Carleton Sports Info

Special teams were the story in the first period. Eight penalties were handed out in the frame – four to each side – giving both teams ample opportunities to find the scoreboard.

The Gryphons opened the scoring early off a holding-the-stick penalty to Lions' rookie defenceman Lindsay Brook (Ste. Rose Du Lac, Man.). Woods (Orangeville, Ont.), alone in front of the Lions' goal, received a cross-crease pass from Kimberley Wong (Mississauga, Ont.) that she redirected through McMurter's legs and home to put her team ahead 1-0.

Brook redeemed herself by taking a good slashing penalty late in the period that prevented a speedy Kaitlyn Mora (Guelph, Ont.) from cutting off the left wing to the front of the goal for an open shot at McMurter.

The Gryphons increased their lead to two early in the second courtesy of a short-handed goal from Jenna Lanzarotta (Mississauga, Ont.). Lanzarotta won the race to the puck, slid behind the Lions' goal and beat McMurter on a quick wraparound.

The Gryphons continued their efficient play and found a third goal midway through the period. On the power play, Jacalyn Sollis (West Vancouver, B.C.) charged in from the point and got two whacks at goal before burying her own rebound. McMurter calmly pushed aside Sollis's first wrist shot, but Sollis refused to quit on the play and was rewarded for her effort.

With less than two minutes remaining in the period, Tamara Bell (Guelph, Ont.) increased the Gryphons' lead to a comfortable 4-0. Following a mad scramble in front of the Lions' goal, Woods found the puck behind the goal and passed it out front to be Bell, who slid the frozen disc just inside McMurter's right post.

The Gryphons did not let up in the third. Woods put her team up 5-0 when she powered to the front of the Lions goal and roofed a backhand over Brown.

The Lions were unable to catch any breaks in the game. Courtney Unruh (Fort St. John, B.C.) was denied on a breakaway opportunity late in the period when she stormed into the Gryphons zone all alone and made a slick move to her backhand for a sure goal, but Skoufranis slid across her crease on her back to make the save and preserve her shutout. The Lions also hit two posts in the game.

With the loss, the Lions (7-11-0) remain seventh in the OUA with 14 points, while the Gryphons (12-4-2) remain in third with 26 points.

The Lions will be in action again Friday (Jan. 14) when they visit the UOIT Ridgebacks (5-10-3). Puck drops at 7:30pm. They don't return home again until Sunday, Jan. 23 for a game against the Waterloo Warriors at 7pm.

Source: York Sports Info

"The team showed a great deal of character and had a tireless effort today," said head coach Karen Nystrom. "We played with a lot of grit and determination setting the tone for the game and fought back each time we found ourselves down."

Even though UOIT dominated the majority of the first period, Waterloo was able to capitalize on a couple of costly Ridgeback turnovers to go ahead 2-1 after twenty minutes. Violette Long was the goal scorer for UOIT, as she netted her first OUA goal on a two-on-one play with teammate Vanessa Johnstone.

The teams were scoreless in the second period, despite combining for seven power play opportunities.

In the final stanza, UOIT battled back with a strong fore check and a gritty defensive style of play. The Ridgebacks tied the game at 2-2 on a penalty shot as Jill Morillo made no mistake in burying her seventh goal in her last eight games.

UOIT continued to roll as Melissa Berney scored her first career goal, as she one-timed a shot from the point to give the Ridgebacks a 3-2 lead. Johnstone and Sarah Worthington picked up assists on the play.

With their backs against the wall, the home team was able to claw back to tie the game at 3-3with just over five minutes left on the clock, as freshman Lindsey Ceaser scored her third goal of the year.

The teams would need a shootout to eventually break the deadlock, where Waterloo's Brittany Holland scored the lone goal giving Waterloo a 4-3 victory.

The Ridgebacks once again had a solid goaltending performance from Jessica Larabie who made 33 saves in the loss. Martina Michaud made 30 saves for Waterloo.

The Ridgebacks are 5-10-3 on the year, four points ahead of Waterloo who are sitting at 4-14-1. Sitting in eighth place, the Ridgebacks know every point matters in their chase for the playoffs.

"We are looking forward to a great week of intense practices as we prepare for a playoff type weekend," said Nystrom.

UOIT will take on York on Friday, January 14 and Toronto on Saturday, January 15 at the Campus Ice Centre. Puck drop for both games is at 7:30 p.m.

Source: UOIT Sports Info

The only goal of the first period was Fiona Lester's (Peterborough, Ont.) fourth of the season.

The Hawks were at it early in the second period as Abby Rainsberry (Petrolia, Ont.) scored one minute into the frame. Laura Brooker (Fergus, Ont.) would score two special team goals, the first on the power play, the second shorthanded. The goal would chase Queen's Mel Dodd-Moher (Stittsville, Ont.) from the game. She made 19 saves on 23 shots. Head coach Rick Osborne commented on Laurier rookie Laura Brooker's player of the week award in December, "She is very coachable. She scores tons of goals for a rookie, which tends to earn her ice time."

The Hawks would continue their dominance in the third with goals from Brittany Crago (Stouffville, Ont.), Caitlin Muirhead (Waterloo, Ont.), and Alicia Martin (Etobicoke, Ont.). Katherine Shirriff (Carrying Place, Ont.) assisted on Martin's goal, her third of the game. Her eighteen assists in nineteen games lead the OUA, and is tied atop the CIS.

With three seconds left in the game, Queen's Morgan McHaffie (Guelph, Ont.) beat Liz Knox (Stouffville, Ont.) to break the Laurier shutout. Knox finished the game blocking 19 of 20 shots. Karissa Savage (Calgary) finished the game for Queen's making nine saves on 13 shots. Queen's fell to 7-7-4 in the loss.

The Hawks are on the road next weekend against the Waterloo Warriors. The game is on Sunday, January 16 at 2 p.m.

Source: Laurier Sports Info