The York University Lions women's hockey team looked to stay hot as they hosted the Carleton Ravens, to close out York's Hockey Alumni Day doubleheader. With the Lions standing at 5-9-4-1 and the Ravens at 3-12-2-4, the home side was looking to move above .500. for the first time this season and keep their playoff hopes alive.
With no score halfway through and few shots on net, the Lions killed Carleton's first power play of the night off a Nicole York body-checking call. The Lions went to a power play of their own a few minutes later, but the Ravens returned the favour, leaving both squads 0-for-1 with the extra skater. However, with two minutes left in the period, Jill Milligan found a gap and weaved through two defenders, proceeding to send a wrist shot past Kaitlin Langille to cap an incredible individual effort. This gave the Lions a 1-0 lead and the momentum after one.
York carried a power play into period two after a Lanie Guimond roughing call late in the first, and they picked up right where they left off on their power play. where Julianna Duma found open ice at the top of the circle and blistered a wrister that eluded the Carleton netminder to make it a 2-0 game 28 seconds into the middle frame. Halfway through the period, the Lions took two penalties in 2:28, and the Ravens made them pay on the second. Carleton's Olwen Jones cleaned up a Shannon McDonald shot that snuck the Wedgewood and lay on the goal line. The easy tap in decreased the deficit to one for the visitors, as they trailed 2-1. York failed to convert on a power play late in the second, but still held a one-goal lead after two periods of play.
York added a shorthanded insurance goal early in the third from Isabela Huculak. Lexy Anonech stood up the Carleton defender at the redline, forced a turnover and fed a streaking Huculak who did the rest with a well-placed shot blocker side on Langille to extend the lead back to two at 3-1. The Lions gave Carleton four power plays in the third, including 20 seconds of 5-on-3 time, but the visitors were unable to capitalize. Goalie Emma Wedgewood, the reigning York female athlete of the week and an OUA athlete of the week, wasn't busy, but was steady. She stopped 15 of 16 shots directed her way, as the Lions won their third straight by a score of 3-1.
LOOKING AHEAD:
The Lions will go on the road to visit the Waterloo Warriors on Friday, before a huge game against the Laurier Golden Hawks next Saturday. Both games begin at 7:00 pm on OUA TV.
