Box Score Kelly O’Hanlon and Callie Bazak each scored in the shootout to lift the Varsity Blues women’s hockey team to a 3-2 win over the Waterloo Warriors on Sunday, January 13 at Varsity Arena.
 
With win lifts  the Blues to 10-8-1 on the season, one point back of Windsor for fifth place in the OUA.
 
Jacqueline Scheffel (Waubaushene, Ont.) and Ragan Danford (Madoc, Ont.) scored during regulation time. Scheffel now has 12 points on the season, and is joined by Amanda Ricker (Ottawa) and rookie Taylor Day (Ilderton, Ont.) who both picked up assists in the game.
 
Sophomore goaltender Krista Funke (Regina) came into today’s action with the top save percentage in the OUA (0.935). Funke was solid throughout the contest, making 25 saves for the win.
 
The Blues came out strong, dominating the first period and taking a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. Scheffel opened the scoring when she crashed the net on a 2-on-1 and managed to put home a rebound off Ricker’s shot. Danford increased the lead late in the frame on a similar play. Day lugged the puck up ice and fired a shot on goal, the rebound came straight to Danford, who buried it past Warriors goaltender Rebecca Bouwhuis.
 
Waterloo would cut the lead to one early in the second period just after their powerplay had ended when an unfortunate bounce in the slot got lost between the skates of a Blues defender and was snapped home by Kelly Toms.
 
Second-year defenceman April Looije (Mississauga) and Funke combined for several solid defensive plays to maintain the lead throughout the middle stanza, but the Blues were unable to hold off the Warriors in the third. Funke made brilliant saves during a Warriors powerplay, but was helpless to stop Kelly MacLean at the side of the net, who buried a rebound to tie the game 2-2.
 
The teams would trade chances in overtime, with Funke making more game-saving stops, and Danford and Day each creating quality opportunities, but neither team could grab the winning goal and the clock wound down to send the game to a shootout.
 
O’Hanlon shot first for Toronto, making a slick deke to her forehand to beat Bouwhuis. Bazak then skated in as the Blues second shooter, and powered a slap shot top corner to set the stage for Funke to deny MacLean’s attempt and give the Blues the win.
 
Despite the loss, MacLean was named the game’s second star. Sheffel and Danford were named stars one and three, respectively for the Blues.
 
The Blues return to action on Saturday, January 19, when they travel to Kingston, Ontario to take on the first place Queen’s Gaels. Puck drop is 7:30 p.m.

 
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