Lindsay Hill scored three goals and added one assist as the University of Toronto Varsity Blues women’s hockey team defeated the UOIT Ridgebacks 5-1 on Saturday, February 14 at Varsity Arena.

UOIT came out on fire, controlling the play and making it difficult for Toronto to get out of their end. However, the Blues began to pick up the pace and were able to turn things around.

Toronto captain Lyndsey Ryan (Ajax, Ont.) sent a pass to Blues player of the game Hill (Ajax, Ont.), who walked off the halfboards and wired a shot through Ridgebacks goaltender Emma Thompson (Hastings, Ont.).

The Blues were up 1-0 after the first period.

The play went back and forth in the second period and Toronto added another goal with less than three minutes to go in the period. Second-year forward Darby Smith (Madoc, Ont.) drove wide around a UOIT defenceman and sent a cross-crease pass to Emily Milito (Ottawa, Ont.) who one-timed it into the back of the net.

The Ridgebacks responded on the powerplay 43 seconds later when Breanne Hadley (Belleville, Ont.) tapped in a rebound off a Megan Friel (Pickering, Ont.) point shot. Toronto held a narrow 2-1 lead going into the final frame.

Hill would add her second goal of the game two minutes into the third period, skating over the blue line and sending the puck into the top corner of the net.

Amanda Fawns (Scarborough, Ont.) tallied the next goal, tapping in a cross-crease pass from Hill on a Blues powerplay to build a three-goal lead.

With just over two minutes to play, Hill took a pass from Fawns in the high slot and sent it through the legs of Thompson to complete her hat trick performance.

First-year goaltender Kendyl Valenta (Brampton, Ont.) made 23 saves in the Toronto victory.

The Varsity Blues travel across town to take on the Lions tomorrow (Feb. 15) at Canlan Ice Sports. The puck drops at 2 p.m.