WATERLOO, Ont - The Golden Hawks put up a hard-fought effort against Ontario Tech on Saturday night but narrowly fell 2-1.
 
Following a tough loss on Friday night, Laurier aimed to bounce back and finish their weekend on a winning note against the Ridgebacks, who came into the game having lost their last four games.
 
Both teams brought intensity and physicality from the opening faceoff, but Ontario Tech quickly channeled that energy into momentum.
 
Both teams brought intensity and physicality right from the start, but Ontario Tech quickly turned that energy into momentum, converting on an early 2-on-1 rush.

In her home debut, Laurier goaltender Sarah Howell made a solid first save, but Julia Jackson quickly pounced on the rebound to put Ontario Tech on the board.
 
Early in the second period, the Golden Hawks found themselves on a 5-on-3 power play.

Despite some missed opportunities and strong saves by Ontario Tech's goaltender Zoe McGee, they were able to capitalize on the second half of the penalty, with Elle Spencer burying a rebound to tie the game at one, scoring her team-high fourth of the season.

W??: GOAL ?? Elle Spencer banks home the rebound on the power play. We're tied at one! #SoarAbove | #WLUvsONT pic.twitter.com/ZyJ7JhS9Kx

— Laurier Golden Hawks (@WLUAthletics) November 10, 2024

This goal proved to be a massive momentum shift for the purple and gold as they dominated the offensive zone with aggressive puck movement in front of the net.

Intense coverage forced Ontario Tech to take a timeout halfway through the period. However, the Golden Hawks struggled to convert their intense zone play into another goal as loose pucks remained unconverted.
 
The physicality ramped up as the game progressed, leading to a series of penalties in the latter half of the final frame.

A critical holding call sent Ontario Tech to the power play, where Nicole Escano's slapshot from the blue line found its way in, reclaiming their lead.

In the last few minutes, Laurier made a solid offensive push with an extra attacker, but Zoe McGee stood tall, denying multiple close calls. Despite out-shooting Ontario Tech 44-19, the Golden Hawks ultimately fell short on the scoreboard.
 
"Overall, I didn't think we played poorly by any means. When you generate 44 shots in a game, it's probably a good thing," said Laurier's head coach and manager of women's hockey operations, Kelly Paton.

"There was a lot of time spent in the (offensive) zone, so that part of it was really positive. We definitely were not short on opportunities and chances to score, but obviously, the game is funny like that." 
 
The team's persistence around the crease was evident, particularly in the second period.

"There was encouragement to try and be in that space," Paton noted. "But it's still an area of concern for our group to be able to score goals from that space."

"There's foundational pieces that we can look at and see that we're getting there with pucks on our sticks and on our forehands and, from there, we want to build a strategy that captures what scoring looks like."
 
The Golden Hawks will have a break before their next game, which will be held in Owen Sound at against the Waterloo Warriors on Saturday, November 16.

This match-up marks the season's first "Battle of Waterloo" and Laurier's inaugural participation in the Warriors' annual HockeyFest game at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre.

Puck drop is scheduled for 2 pm and will be live on OUA.tv