The No. 10 nationally ranked University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's hockey team defeated the Queen's Gaels 3-2 at Varsity Arena on Friday (Nov. 8) night. 

The first period saw lots of action at both ends of the ice as Toronto finished the period with a 13-9 shot advantage. U of T also scored the lone goal of the first period as second-year forward Christina Alexiou got the puck out of the corner and passed to third-year forward Kaitlyn McKnight, who went for a wraparound with Emma Irwin on the doorstep to score off the rebound for the fourth-year forward's third goal of the season to put the Blues ahead 1-0. 

U of T's 1-0 lead stood through the second period but both the Blues and the Gaels got high quality scoring chances in the middle frame as Gaels goalie Emma Tennant and first-year Blues goalie Lyla McKinnon both made excellent saves in the scoreless second period.  

In the third period U of T put up a strong performance to extend their lead over Queen's. Fourth-year forward Aili McKeown got the Blues their first insurance goal, forcing a Gaels turnover and capitalizing on a breakaway for the Etobicoke, Ont., native's third goal of the season. Toronto added to their lead 72 seconds later as first-year defender Sadie Watkins Southward fired a shot through traffic past Tennant for her first goal in the OUA.  

Queen's scored two goals in the final stages of the third period courtesy of forwards Mikayla Cranney and Sophie Hudson but the comeback attempt fell short as the Blues skated off the ice with a 3-2 win over the Gaels. McKinnon was excellent in net for the Blues making 28 saves in the win.  

The Blues next game will be against the Queen's Gaels in Kingston, Ont., on Friday (Nov. 15) night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. and the game will be streamed live on oua.tv.