The No. 8 nationally ranked University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's hockey team defeated the Waterloo Warriors 5-1 on the road on Friday (Jan. 12) night.
 
As the puck dropped in Waterloo the Blues put pressure on the Warriors defence right out of the gate and were rewarded for their hard work twice in the first 10 minutes of the game. Third-year forward Emma Irwin got the Blues on the board first – finishing off a pass from first-year forward Abby Whitworth to give Toronto the opening goal. One minute later, captain Taylor Trussler attacked a Waterloo defender with a burst of speed and the puck on her backhand to set up third-year forward Aili McKeown who unloaded a shot past Warriors goaltender Mikayla Schnarr to double the Blues lead. The Blues continued to dictate play in the first period, outshooting Waterloo 14-3 after 20 minutes of play.
 
In the second period, the Blues kept their foot on the gas pedal. Third-year forward Nikki McDonald got herself a quality scoring chance after getting the puck from third-year forward Katy McKenna, allowing McDonald to score her fifth goal of the season. The Warriors got one back briefly after, but fifth-year goalie Erica Fryer continued her excellent season as the reigning OUA and U SPORTS athlete of the week turned away multiple Warriors shots to keep the Blues ahead. Late in the second period, third-year forward Sophie Grawbarger jammed in a loose puck for a power play goal, giving the Blues a three goal lead heading into the third period.
 
In the third period the Blues added another insurance goal. The offence broke into the Warriors zone with a three-on-one advantage, as Trussler received a pass from second-year forward Kaitlyn McKnight. The Ayr, Ont. native sent in a shot that then pinballed off of the skates of a Waterloo defender handing Trussler her seventh goal of the season. The Blues continued to play a good defensive game as the clock ticked down to zeros to secure the 5-1 win on the road.

Fryer finished the game with 18 saves in the victory.
 
The Blues will now turn their attention to Saturday (Jan. 13) night when they host the Queen's Gales at Varsity Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets are available at varsityblues.ca/tickets and the game will be streamed live on oua.tv.