OSHAWA, Ont. - The Golden Hawks concluded their weekend road trip with a 3-2 shootout loss to Ontario Tech on Saturday afternoon. 

Coming off a hard-fought 1-0 overtime win on Friday, they were determined to extend their mini-win streak to three games.

Laurier put the pressure on early, gaining scoring chances and keeping offensive zone possession, resulting in the shot count tipping heavily in their favour. 

However, a failed clearing attempt in the defensive zone allowed Ontario Techs Julia Jackson to capitalize with a tip-in from in front of the net. 

The second period saw a quick shift in momentum, with Laurier's Arielle MacDonald netting a power play goal from the circle just 57 seconds into the period, tying the game at one. 

Unfortunately, this surge didn't last long as the team found themselves playing primarily in their own zones, limiting offensive opportunities and highlighting the reliability of their defence. 

The Golden Hawks came out in the third with renewed energy, maintaining pressure and switching the script from the period before. 

Ontario Tech goaltender Zoe McGee made several crucial saves to keep her team in the game. 

This boost from their goaltender helped Julia Jackson score her second goal of the night with a sharp shot to the high-blocker side of Kayla Renaud, who was making her second straight start between the pipes for the purple and gold.

"[Kayla] deserved the right to get the back-to-back this weekend and help put our team in a position to win," said manager of women's hockey operations and head coach Kelly Paton. 

In the dying minutes of the third, Laurier found themselves with a 6-on-4 advantage when Olivia MacMillian tied the game at two when her shot ricocheted off the post and into the net after hitting McGee's skate. 

Laurier found themselves in 3-on-3 overtime for the second straight game. They held good pressure until they took a defensive zone penalty two minutes into the extra frame.

A strong special teams unit successfully killed it off, sending the game into their first shootout of the season. After back-and-forth saves, the Golden Hawks ultimately fell in the fifth round. 

"Our special teams were pretty positive, but I would say that our 5-on-5 was still very limited at generating offensive zone time and space, making it difficult to produce," Paton said. "Going the whole weekend and only scoring three goals is not going to put us in a position where we will be able to win consistently."

Up Next

The Golden Hawks (3-1-0-1) will prepare for their next match-up at home on October 31 against their division rivals, and current leaders, the #4-ranked Guelph Gryphons (4-1-0-0). 

Puck drop is at 7 pm and tickets are available now.

The game will also be available live on OUA.tv with updates posted on X at @WLUAthletics.
 

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