Hawks eliminated in double overtime by Mustangs
It took five periods, but the Wilfrid Laurier University women’s hockey team’s season came to an end on Friday night in a double-overtime battle with the Western Mustangs in game two of the Ontario University Athletics semifinal. The Golden Hawks dropped the decision by a final score of 5-4, ending their season in game two of the series.
The game opened with the teams trading goals within the first minute of play, setting off a high tempo, high intensity game from start to finish.
“We knew coming in our backs were against the wall,” said captain Laura Brooker.
Fifth-year forward Danelle Im tallied Laurier’s first goal as well the third goal of the night in the loss. She also added an assist.
Laurier led the game 3-1 after the first period of play, but slowly lost momentum in the second, as the Mustangs scored three unanswered goals to storm back and take the lead.
Head coach Rick Osborne then pulled rookie netminder Nicholle Kovach, who got her first-ever career playoff start, in favour of Amanda Smith, who had been set to rest tonight. The Hawks then tied the game up on a goal by fifth-year Tammy Freiburger.
“I thought we were in the driver seat when we made the goaltending switch,” Osborne said.
After the Hawks seemed to grab the momentum, they couldn’t score after a flurry of shots in the first overtime.
6:31 into the second overtime frame, Tia Kipfer of the Mustangs tipped the puck home past Smith to end the Golden Hawks season and send the Mustangs to the final.
The Hawks will graduate for sure Freiburger and Brooker, and will have the opportunity to have the likes of six other players come back.
