If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. The Queen’s Golden Gaels women’s hockey team was rewarded for its perseverance this past weekend, as they beat the York Lions 3-0 on Sunday following a 5-2 loss to the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday afternoon.
Six teams make the playoffs within the format of OUA women’s hockey, and with just seven points separating second-place Brock and eighth-place Western, every game has become crucial as teams vie for playoff positioning.
Given the importance of these games, the Gaels could not be pleased with the way Saturday’s game against Guelph began. Less than five minutes in, off a faceoff to the left of Queen’s goaltender Melissa John, Guelph forward Carrie Tokarcyzk won the draw back to teammate Arden Sullivan. Sullivan took the shot on net, with the rebound coming to a wide open Tokarcyzk who deposited the goal to give the Gryphons an early 1-0 lead.
This game marked John’s third straight start in net for the Gaels. Last week the first-year Commerce student was named Journal Athlete of the Week, as her 1.67 goals against average put her fourth in the OUA in that category.
Guelph continued to press in the first period, doubling their lead shortly after the first goal. Not even a two-goal lead was enough to satisfy the Gryphons, as they added their third goal of the period on a weak shot from Arden Sullivan that seemed to catch John by surprise.
That goal prompted a goaltending change from Queen’s head coach Harold Parsons, replacing John with veteran Claire Hunt. The switch was made in order to calm John, and she returned to the Gaels’ net just minutes later.
The Gaels had the last say in the first period, as a point shot from defender Yolande Gooderham caught Guelph goalie Aleisha Lusk off guard, bringing the Gaels to within two goals. The goal came as a relief to the Gaels, as they had previously struggled to get their point shots through traffic in front of the net.
The second period started off well for the Gaels, as hard work by the line of Cassandra Sparks, Miranda Costie and Victoria Kaufmann resulted in a goal early in the period. Kaufmann potted her eighth goal of the season off the rebound of a shot by Sparks. The rookie forward is now sixth in the OUA in goal scoring.
Guelph restored their two-goal lead near the end of the second period on a controversial goal by Sullivan that appeared to hit the crossbar and the left post yet stay out of the net. The referee ruled it a goal, however, putting the Gryphons up 4-2 going into the third period.
The Gaels dominated the third period, outshooting Guelph 14-3. Lusk stood on her head, keeping Queen’s off the score sheet by stopping opportunity after opportunity from close range. The Gryphons added an empty-net goal with just seconds left, giving them a 5-2 win.
“It was frustrating having so many chances but just being inches away,” said alternate captain Costie. “Their goalie really kept them in the game.”
After a loss in which they outplayed Guelph, the team came to play against York, realizing the importance of finishing their
many chances.
Goaltender Claire Hunt got the start for the Gaels, trying to redeem herself after a difficult game in her last start against Laurier.
While the Gaels outplayed the Lions in the first period, they continued to be snake-bitten around the net, with York goalie Melanie Quinn keeping the Gaels at bay.
Queen’s finally exploded in the second period for three goals, with Sparks, Keri Baker and Amanda Stenson tallying the markers for the Gaels. Those goals would prove to be enough for Queen’s, as they went on to win by a score of 3-0. Hunt played solidly in net, including a big shoulder save in the third period. The shutout is Hunt’s second of the season.
“It was nice to get back in there to show what I can do,” Hunt said. “A shutout is always a nice start.”
The Gaels now sit in a tie for third place in the OUA with Toronto and Guelph, just one point behind second-place Brock. They will travel to Waterloo next weekend to face the Warriors and the CIS number-one-ranked Laurier Golden Hawks.
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