The University of Toronto Varsity Blues women's hockey team defeated the No. 9 nationally ranked Ottawa Gee-Gees 6-2 on Saturday (Nov. 13) afternoon at Varsity Arena.
The Blues came out flying to begin the game, forechecking hard and playing great in transition. Midway through the period, U of T was rewarded for their efforts as third-year forward Jasmine Comeau forechecked hard, forcing a turnover and stickhandling around goaltender Clara Genier for her second goal of the season. Late in the frame, Ottawa's Alex Ferguson got a shorthanded breakaway but third-year goalie Lyla McKinnon stood her ground with a big stop to keep the Blues ahead by one-goal going into the first intermission.
Toronto wasted no time extended their lead in the second period, scoring a pair of goals in 37 seconds. With Comeau working the puck along the boards, she sent a pass to fifth-year environmental geoscience student Emma Elders. Elders fired a shot from the point through traffic and into the back of the net for her seventh goal of the season. Keeping their foot on the gas pedal, fourth-year forward Christina Alexiou was hard on the forecheck, winning a battle and getting the puck to first-year defender Abby Dingwell. With a pair of Abby's on the ice, Dingwell set up fourth-year forward Abby Whitworth to give U of T a commanding 3-0 lead.
Midway through the frame, the Blues found themselves on the power play. Following a face-off win by fifth-year captain Kaitlyn McKnight, third-year defender Taylor Thompson dished the puck to Elders who beat Genier and chased the Gee-Gees netminder from the game as McKnight and third-year forward Ryleigh Horlock provided a great net-front presence on the goal. Ottawa did managed to get one back late in the period with a knuckle puck by Regan Garreau finding the back of the net.
U of T wasn't rattled by the Gee-Gees late sign of life in the second period, scoring a quick goal as third-year defender Jaia Freer broke the puck out to Alexiou. Alexiou carried the puck into the offensive zone and sent a pass across the slot for Whitworth for her second goal of the game. 38 seconds later, Elders completed the hat trick, taking advantage of a turnover from Garreau and beating Lauren Mooney to earn her second career OUA hat trick.
From there, U of T played a stout defensive game with McKinnon backstopping the team between the pipes, making some of the best of her 26 saves in the game. Gee-Gees forward T.J. Flores would score a goal with less than two minutes left on the clock to cut the lead to four but it was too little too late as the Blues swept their two-game home stand.
The Blues are back on the ice on Thursday (Nov. 19) night when they travel to Oshawa and take on the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on
oua.tv.
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