Despite a roster brimming with young talent, experienced players led the way for the women’s hockey team last weekend.
Fuelled by stellar performances from senior Andrea Leblanc, Amanda Morra and Melissa John, the Gaels won both of their games including a 2-0 defeat of Wilfred Laurier University, ranked third nationally. The weekend successes moved Queen’s from sixth to fourth place in the OUA standings.
Laurier entered Friday’s game in Napanee as the top team in Ontario with an imposing 19-1-1 record and 0.85 team goals-against average. Defender Alison Bagg scored the winning goal on the power play with 4:44 left in the second period and Victoria Kaufmann added an empty-net goal with one second remaining in the game.
Meanwhile, the exceptional play of goalie Melissa John stifled the Laurier attack, allowing the Gaels to pull off the upset. The Gaels were outshot 41-12 but John, a third-year player, weathered the storm to earn her second shutout of the season.
“I was definitely ready for it. I wanted that game,” John said. “Last time we played them we lost 2-1 and I felt it was a game I could have had a shutout, so I knew I really wanted the game.”
Veteran players stole the show again when Queen’s hosted the University of Waterloo at the Memorial Centre Saturday night.
Graduating forwards Andrea LeBlanc and Amanda Morra were recognized before their final regular-season home game and the pair, along with John, were instrumental in a 4-1 victory.
A first period giveaway gave Waterloo a great scoring chance, but John bailed out her defenders with a fine save, one of the 24 she made on the night.
The ensuing faceoff led to the opening Queen’s goal when Kelsey Thompson finished off a well-executed ing play to add to her team-leading total of 14 goals.
Less than three minutes later, Morra and LeBlanc combined to create a shorthanded goal. Morra knocked the puck out of the Gaels’ zone, raced past the defender and centered to her teammate. LeBlanc danced around a Waterloo player to score, giving Queen’s a comfortable 2-0 lead that was never threatened.
Morra said she and Leblanc have developed good chemistry over the past four years.
“Me and Andy have been playing together for so long that we can read each other,” she said. “We know where we’re going to be. As soon as I ed it to her and she dangled that defence, I knew it was a goal. I had my hands up right away.”
LeBlanc said good goaltending was crucial to the team’s success. “Our goalie played amazing,” she said. “It definitely gives the team a boost to know we have solid goaltending in the back.”
With three regular-season games remaining, head coach Rob Lalonde said finishing in fourth place remains the team’s goal: it would give them home ice in the first round of the playoffs.
“That’s something that we had identified that we were quite capable of doing,” he said. “I think we’re on track. We are undefeated in the New Year. We are starting to peak.” The next games are on Saturday and Sunday at the University of Toronto and York University.
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be ed, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to [email protected].