The No. 4 nationally ranked University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's hockey team is set to do battle with the Laurier Golden Hawks in a best-of-three OUA quarter-final series this week (Feb. 24-28).
 

Date	Visitor	Home	Time	Location	Media
Wednesday, February 24	Laurier	Toronto	7:30 p.m.	Varsity Arena	Tickets Live Video Live Stats
Friday, February 26	Toronto	Laurier	7:30 p.m.	Sun Life Financial Arena	Live Video Live Stats
Sunday, February 28 *if necessary	Laurier	Toronto	4:00 p.m.	Varsity Arena	Tickets Live Video Live Stats

 
A Head-to-Head Look

Toronto finished the regular season with a 12-4-4-4 (W-OTW-L-OTL) record in second place in the OUA, while the Golden Hawks finished in seventh place with a 10-3-9-2 record.

Toronto went 1-1-0-0 versus Laurier during the regular season, with their last showdown ending in double-overtime two weeks ago (Feb. 12) at Varsity Arena. Earlier in the season U of T took down the Golden Hawks, 3-1, at Sun Life Arena in Waterloo. Of note, the Blues ended the season winning eight of their last nine games, while Laurier dropped three of their last five regular season contests.

U of T is 5-6-1 (W-L-OTL) head-to-head with Laurier in the postseason, dating back to 1972. The two squads last met in the playoffs in the 2013-14 season with the Golden Hawks picking up a 2-1 series victory.

Battling for the Blues

Veteran laden first line for U of T consisting of Taylor Day, Sonja Weidenfelder, and captain Kristi Riseley will lead the way for the Varsity Blues. Day (15 G, 10 A) finished the regular season tied for fourth in the OUA scoring race, while also landing second in the province in goals and is currently riding a seven-game point streak. Combined with teammates Weidenfelder (11 G, 9 A) and Riseley (6 G, 11 A), the trio is expected to be a force throughout the OUA playoffs. 

Rookie netminder Valencia Yordanov is expected to draw the start in her first appearance in the OUA postseason. The rookie sensation has started 18 games this season, amassing a 9-3-3-3 record. The Port Coquitlam, B.C., native sits fourth in the OUA in goals-against average (1.48) and eighth in save percentage (.939).

On the blue line, fifth-year defenceman April Looije (1 G, 3 A) provides the Blues with a lockdown defender while backend playmakers Rebecca Bourgeois (1 G, 13 A) and rookie Cristine Chao (0 G, 15 A) provide outstanding breakout capabilities, leading all Varsity Blues defenceman in scoring this season.

Golden Hawks to Watch

The Golden Hawks boast one of the top offensive weapons in the OUA in fifth-year forward Jessie Hurrell. The Laurier standout finished 11th in OUA scoring with 20 points (7 G, 13 A) through 24 games played this season. With four multi-point games this season, Hurrell has continued to add to her career point total, which has surpassed 110 points in her five-year Golden Hawks career

In net, third-year goalie Amanda Smith will backstop for Laurier following her late season emergence as the clear-cut starter. Starting seven games this season, Smith finished with a 3-2-1-1 record with one of her two losses coming at the hands of the Varsity Blues. With career highs in save percentage (.948) and goals-against average (1.46), placing her within the top five for each category, Smith will present a serious threat to Toronto.

For more information, scores and highlights on your favourite U of T athletes and teams, please visit www.varsityblues.ca. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook for the latest and greatest in Varsity Blues intercollegiate athletics.