An eight-minute stretch in the second period featured three Ontario Tech Ridgebacks goals, and ultimately sunk the York University women's hockey team's attempt at a win on home ice Friday night.
 
The loss drops the Lions record to 0-5, despite controlling good portions of the game and outshooting their opponents.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Lions leadership group came in clutch, with home alternate captain Courtney Gardiner giving York the game's opening goal for the first time this year, and their first goal in 137:02 of gameplay. A sweet backhander on a feed from captain Kelsey McHolm gave the Lions a 1-0 lead at 9:16.
• The chances kept coming for the Lions, who registered 13 shots in the period to the Ridgebacks' six. Other good chances came off the sticks of Julia McLennan and Julia Cuccia, both in the second half of the opening frame.
• Ontario Tech tied the game in the second period, however, with a shorthanded goal off the stick of their captain. Megan Johnston added her first goal of the season, capitalizing on a Lions turnover at the side of the net at 9:21 of the second.
• Then the Ridgebacks got a player advantage of their own, and took the lead late in the power play at 15:47. Lauren Beaulieu was the beneficiary of a fortuitous bounce off the end boards –  a wide Jillian Banks shot bounded right to her, and she one-timed it past Serena Vilde to give the visitors a 2-1 lead.
• Ontario Tech then padded their lead on a shot into the top corner by Mackenzie Krasowski, just 1:50 after their last goal.
• Johnston added her second goal of the game at 5:08 to give the Ridgebacks some insurance, which came in handy when Ava Ricker-Singh shovelled home the rebound of a Madison Davey shot at 12:39 of the third. That served as the game's final goal. 

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING
 
"We set a good pace in the first period, but special teams is what really defined this game. We didn't do a good enough job on our power play or our penalty kill, and they capitalized with a shorthanded goal and a power play goal." – Head coach Dan Church
 
NOTABLE NUMBERS

• York's 31 shots on goal were a season-high for the 2021-22 campaign, which serves the team well going into their rematch against the Ridgebacks Saturday night.
• Gardiner's game-opening goal was the first time York opened the scoring in any game this regular season.  

LOOKING AHEAD
 
York heads down the 401 to take on the Ridgebacks again Saturday night, with a 7pm start from the Campus Ice Centre in Oshawa, Ont.