On Saturday evening, the York University Lions women's hockey team went head-to-head with the Waterloo Warriors.
York entered the matchup with a 1-1 record, coming off a loss to Windsor, while Waterloo arrived with a 1-2 record after being shutout in two straight games by Carleton and Ontario Tech.
Early in the first period, the Lions came out strong and secured the opening goal when a long shot from Nicole York beat Warriors netminder Kara Mark. For the rest of the period, the Lions held firm defensively and maintained their lead, heading into intermission up 1-0.
As the second period began, York aimed to carry their momentum from the first, but Gracey Smith tied the game for Waterloo. Shortly after, Brooke Williams scored again for the Warriors, giving them their first lead of the game. The shift in momentum didn't shake the Lions. Instead, it fueled them, and with a pass through the middle, Massey levelled the score with her second of the night to tie it 2-2 after two.
In the third, a turnover by the Warriors gave Natalie Mamone a chance and she made good on it, putting York ahead 3-2. Building on that momentum, Ginger Fast added another goal, deepening Waterloo's deficit to 4-2. The Warriors increased their offensive pressure late in the game, but it wasn't enough, as Kaitlin Texeira sealed the win with York's fifth goal into an empty net, and the Lions skated away with a commanding 5-2 victory on home ice.
LOOKING AHEAD:
The Lions will be back on home ice Sunday evening to battle the TMU Bold. Puck drop is set for 6:00 pm.