With only 10 games remaining in the regular season, the Varsity Blues women’s hockey team is set to host two crucial games versus the UOIT Ridgebacks and Queen’s Gaels this weekend at Varsity Arena.
The Varsity Blues are 2-0 against the Ridgebacks this season with 7-3 (Oct. 10) and 6-3 (Nov. 15) victories, while Queen’s holds the upper hand versus Toronto, having taken both games by a score of 6-5. The first was in regulation on Oct. 11 but overtime was needed on Nov. 14.
U of T faces off against the Ridgebacks on Saturday, Jan. 16 and the Gaels on Sunday, Jan. 17 with the puck scheduled to drop at 4 p.m. on both days.
Hovering over the 500 mark, the Varsity Blues are in fifth place with an 8-7-2 record thus far this season. The Blues are coming off a big 6-1 victory over the Waterloo Warriors and a tough 1-0 loss to the No. 2 Laurier Golden Hawks last weekend.
Third-year forward Lindsay Hill (Ajax, Ont.) leads the team and is ranked sixth in the conference with 12 goals and nine assists in 17 games. Assistant captain Annie DelGuidice (Hamilton, Ont.) and Kingston, Ont. native Brenley Jorgensen are tied for eighth in OUA scoring with 18 points apiece, while Blues captain Karolina Urban of Kamloops, B.C. has 17.
Second-year goaltender Kendyl Valenta (Brampton, Ont.) is ranked fifth in the OUA with a 0.930 save percentage. Battling back from a broken collar bone, Valenta has had some remarkable performances, including a 37-save performance versus Laurier.
The UOIT Ridgebacks are 4-11-2 and sit in last place in the OUA standings. The Ridgebacks are winless in six games, their last victory coming over the Western Mustangs on Nov. 21.
First-year forward Jill Morillo (Whitby, Ont.) leads UOIT with 10 goals and five assists this season. Emma Thompson of Hastings, Ont. and Pickering, Ont. native Jessica Larabie have shared goaltending duties for the Ridgebacks this season.
In a fight for the top spot, the Queen’s Gaels are 13-3-1 and in second place behind the undefeated Laurier Golden Hawks. Kelsey Thompson (Martintown, Ont.) and Becky Conroy (Pembroke, Ont.) sit atop the OUA leader board with 23 and 26 points, respectively. Elizabeth Kench (Gananoque, Ont.) is tied for third in the province with seven goals and 15 assists.
Mel Dodd-Moher of Stittsville, Ont. is ranked second among OUA goaltenders with 0.951 save percentage.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for youth and non-U of T students, U of T students and children 12 and under are free. Advance sales are available through http://www.ticketbreak.com or by calling 1.866.9.GET TIX (943-8849).
For more information, scores and highlights on your favourite Toronto teams, please visit the home of the Varsity Blues at http://www.varsityblues.ca.
