The Sun Life Financial Arena witnessed a battle between the Laurier Golden Hawks and the Western Mustangs.
On display was a balanced exhibition of skills from both sides through four periods.
Ultimately the game was decided in a penalty shootout.
The opening period set the tone for the rest of the game as Laurier’s netminder Acadia Carlson and Westerns goaltender Ella Brabrook put on a clinic between the posts as they refused to let any shots get past
The Golden Hawks picked up two penalties in the first period, before going undeterred as they played shorthand to to kill both penalties and trump the Mustangs.
In the second period, Laurier came out with increased puck possession and dominant offensive play.
As the period progressed, the Hawks got some chances on goal, one coming from left wing Yasmina Tomkin.
The Mustangs took three penalties, giving the Golden Hawks an opportunity. Despite their efforts on the powerplay they were unable to get past the Mustangs and by the end of the second period the game was left scoreless.
Immediately after the third period face-off, the intensity increased, but like the first and second periods it ended in a 0-0 draw – sending the game to 3 on 3 overtime.
In the dying minutes of the extra frame, the Mustangs got a shot on goal that managed to get past Carlson, but was met by the iron crossbar, leaving the game in a stalemate.
To decide the game, the Golden Hawks and Mustangs prepared themselves for a notorious penalty shootout.
Carlson didn’t crack under the pressure, and stopped all of Westerns 6 attempts, leaving a golden opportunity for forward Eryn Wolfe to score her third goal of the season.
“It feels amazing to be able to get the win for our team – the support from the team has been unreal.” Wolfe said.
“We’ve got to start scoring more to stay competitive and stay at that top spot,” said Laurier’s head coach Kelly Paton.
Wolfe encapsulated the team’s winning sentiment, saying,
“We have got a lot of confidence – we’re going to give it our all in every game we play.”