The York University Lions women's hockey team played their season opener on Saturday afternoon (Oct. 15) at Canlan Ice Sports against the UOIT Ridgebacks and started the season off on the right foot as they left the game victorious with a 4-1 win.
 
Both teams entered the game with an extreme hunger for the win and the first period was a reflection of that as both teams held each other scoreless for the first 20 minutes of the match.
 
The second period was a much different story. In the second minute of the frame rookie Kelsey McHolm (Winnipeg) broke the deadlock when she snuck the puck past UOIT goaltender Tori Campbell off of an assist from Erin Locke (Toronto) for a 1-0 lead.
 
The Lions would strike again when they feasted off of the power play with a goal from Jenna Gray (London, Ont.). The goal was set up by swift passes from Lauren Cavarzan (Hamilton, Ont.) and, for the second time of the game, Locke. The third and final goal of the period came only two minutes after the second when Justine Treadwell (Huntsville, Ont.) scored at 7:46.
 
With a healthy 3-0 victory York looked to close out the game in the third period and get the win. The Ridgebacks, however, did show some fight when Kassidy Nauboris scored her team's only goal of the match to make the score 3-1.
 
The Lions would strike once more at the end of the game when Locke made her way onto the score sheet for a third time, scoring an empty netter with an assist from Tegan Duncan (Oakville, Ont.).
 
With tonight's win the Lions start 1-0 on the season. Their next opponent will be the Queen's Gaels when they travel to Kingston, Ont., on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 16). The Lions' next home game will take place on Saturday, Oct. 22 when they face off against the Brock Badgers at Canlan Ice Sports.