Hosting their "Roar for a Cure Campaign" at Canlan Ice Arena on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 16), the York University women's hockey team pulled away with a 2-1 victory over the fourth-placed Queen's Gaels (8-1-3-1).
 
Thanks to a formidable goal by Tegan Duncan (Oakville, Ont.) at 1:58 in overtime, the Lion's now have a 6-8-0-0 record on the year and find themselves in the middle of the OUA standings.
 
The first period was a scoreless one with the Gaels finding many chances off of turnovers and counter attacks. Megan Lee (Orillia, Ont.) was solid in net to stop three sure goals from Gaels Addi Halladay, Jessica Wakefield, and Courtenay Jacklin, who all found themselves one-on-one with Lee at some point during the period.
 
Duncan and Stephanie Dovaston (Unionville, Ont.) each had a shot on goal before the first buzzer, but it was Lee's performance in net that kept the Lions in the game to head into the first intermission.
 
The Lions picked up the pace in the second period as possession shifted back and forth between the two teams. Gaels Nadia Larocca and Katrina Manoukarakis had some promising scoring chances in the early parts of the period, as well as Lions Cynthia St-Cyr (New Liskeard, Ont.) who hit the innermost part of the post.
 
However, it was Rianna Langford (Collingwood, Ont.) who was able to break open the scoring and put the Lions up 1-0 at 6:53, after pouncing off of a rebound from Chelsea Tucker's (Alliston, Ont.) shot on goal.
 
From then on, the period featured relentless, non-stop action from both teams as fans kept their eyes glued to the ice. Lee continued to play phenomenally between the bars and Gaels goaltender Caitlyn Lahonen also made many saves to keep the score at 1-0 to end the period.  
 
Lee ended the game saving 28 shots, while Lahonen saved 34.
 
In the third period both teams continued to bring the heat, but after the Gaels forced the Lions to give up a penalty shot at 15:26, Claire Warren stepped up and tucked the puck past Lee to level the score 1-1 and push the play into overtime.
 
The Lions will continue their momentum into Sunday's (Jan. 17) matchup that will be played against the Western Mustangs. The players will hit the ice at 2pm at Canlan Ice Arena.