The Nipissing Lakers women’s hockey team beat the Laurentian Voyageurs by a score of 5-2 in game one of the best of three series. The score doesn’t dictate how the game went however. The Lakers were dominated throughout, getting outshot 51-25, but got great goaltending from Jackie Rochefort and timely scoring.
After a scoreless first period where the Lakers were outshot 14-8, Jade Gauthier got the Lakers on the board first early in the second period. The second was more of the same for the Lakers being badly out shot. But then with seconds remaining on the clock Zosia Davis shook off a fore checker, and hit Kaley Tienhaara with a breakout pass who then slid the puck back door to Brooklyn Irwin who made it 2-0 Lakers.
Then early in the 3rd period, Jetta Derenoski won an offensive zone faceoff forward to herself and fed Laura McKenzie at the net who buried it to take a commanding 3-0 lead. With 9:47 remaining on the clock, Laurentian decided to haul goaltender Karen Collins out of the net and tried to get back into the game playing 6 on 5. It paid off, Sara Habal scored on the powerplay and then seconds later Emma Leger scored to make it 3-2.
With five minutes remaining on the clock Laurentian decided to keep Collins out, and the decision backfired when Taylor Murphy stole the puck in her defensive end and skated it down the ice and buried into the empty net. Derenoski would score another goal on the empty net a few minutes later to finish the game off. Game 2 will be on Saturday night at the Countryside Arena in Sudbury, and game time is 7:20pm.
