Box Score Kelly O’Hanlon scored in the shootout and Nicole Kesteris earned the shutout as the Varsity Blues women’s hockey team defeated the Queen’s Gaels 1-0 on Saturday, October 6 at Varsity Arena.
The Blues pick up their first win of the season and improve to 1-0-1.
A third-year goalie, Kesteris (Aurora, Ont.) was stellar in her first start of the season, making 47 saves to earn the shut out and first star honours.
The game featured no goal scoring during regulation, but did not lack in excitement as both teams played at a frantic pace through the first two periods.
The Gaels took over the territorial advantage in the second, outshooting the Blues 16-5, but Kesteris remained impenetrable, turning away a handful of spectacular scoring chances to keep the Blues in the game.
Ottawa native and veteran forward Amanda Ricker manufactured the Blues best scoring chance of the period. After beating a Queen’s defender with a tremendous curl and drag move, Ricker broke in alone but was unable to beat Gaels goaltender Melanie Dodd-Moher.
Kesteris turned aside another 15 shots in the third to help send the game to overtime.
Sparked by Kesteris’ performance, U of T came out flying in the extra minutes, and had several chances to end the game, including a slap shot from Callie Bazak (Peterborough, Ont.) that rang off Dodd-Moher’s mask, but was covered up before any Blues players could reach it.
Still searching for a way to solve the Queen’s netminder, the Blues turned to veteran forward and team captain Kelly O’Hanlon in the shootout. O’Hanlon did not disappoint, beating Dodd-Moher with a slick deke to the forehand.
Kesteris then turned away all three Gaels shooters to secure the win for Toronto.
The Gaels are 0-0-1 to start their season.
The Blues next game is Saturday, October 13 in Waterloo, Ont. against the Waterloo Warriors. Puck drop is 2:30 pm.
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