WHKY | Voyageurs Win Thrilling Game Against #9 Lions
February 1, 2020
The Laurentian Voyageurs women's hockey team played their only game of the weekend and as well, their third and final home game of the regular season against the York Lions.
The Lions are having a stellar season thus far with a record of 13-7-1, holding second place overall in the OUA and are ranked ninth in U Sports.
Over the first forty minutes of the game the Vees would be the only team to put the puck in the net after Regan Toltesi would score her third goal on the season after receiving the puck in the slot from Payton Bray and shooting far side, low pad, on Serena Vilde for a 1-0 Voyageurs lead with just five minutes left in the second.
The Lions would answer quickly at the start of the third after Kelsey McHolm would beat Shanna Dolighan top corner from the slot and tie this matchup with almost an entire last frame remaining.
The Lions would set themselves into the lead after a loose puck floating in Dolighan's crease would find the back of the net from McHolm for her second goal of the game.
The Voyageurs would tie it up just two minutes later after Natalie Lamarche would snipe her fourth of the season after a brilliant solo rush, splitting the Lions' defenders with her speed and beating Vilde blocker-side.
The Lions would answer again just nine seconds after with McHolm scoring her third goal of the game and putting the Lions up by one with ten minutes left.
The Vees would answer the Lions with the fifth goal in the third period after Annie Sherdian would feed Megan Arnott from the corner and onto her stick out front for a one-timer. Arnott would score her fifth goal and tenth point of the season.
This matchup would be sent to an exciting overtime frame that would result in major saves by Dolighan and Vilde and send this game into shootout. Both Morgan McCann and Regan Toltesi would score in the shootout and Dolighan would shutout all but one Lion and give the Vees a win in the shootout. With the win, the Vees improve to 9-8-3, however they remain five points out of a playoff spot.
The Voyageurs take their one and only game this weekend and prepare for a trip to Toronto next weekend to play the Ryerson Rams and Varsity Blues. The Rams currently hold the last playoff spot so this will be a crucial game.
Sam Brooks