OTTAWA, Ont. - The Golden Hawks kicked off the second half of their season in the nation's capital with an exhilarating 3-2 overtime win against the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Friday night.

The game began with a fast-paced, back-and-forth opening 10 minutes, as both teams generated prime scoring chances. 

However, as the first period progressed, Laurier lost some of their early momentum. A missed defensive battle along the boards led to Ottawa's Alyssa Biesenthal finding herself alone in the slot, where she capitalized by going five-hole on Golden Hawks rookie starting goaltender Sarah Howell, putting the Gee-Gees up 1-0.

Determined to bounce back in the second period, the Golden Hawks hit the ice with renewed energy. About halfway through the frame, sustained offensive pressure paid off as Laurier held the zone and generated chances.

Emerie Maltby leveled the score with a top-shelf snipe with just under seven minutes left in the frame.

Both goaltenders were stellar throughout the period, keeping the score tied 1-1 heading into the third.

Early in the final 20 minutes of regulation, a shot from Maelle Laplante rang off the crossbar and initially appeared to stay out. Play continued for several minutes until a stoppage allowed the officials to get together.

After discussion, the referees ruled it a goal, resetting the clock to 19:22 and giving Ottawa a 2-1 lead. 

The decision deflated Laurier's bench, momentarily, but the team quickly regrouped.

Laurier assistant coach Nik Knezic, stepping in for manager of women's hockey operations and head coach Kelly Paton while she's at the FISU
World University Games coaching the women's national team, credited the team's leadership for helping them stay focused. 

"There was a noticeable kind of sag in our bench. They felt sorry for themselves for about 30 seconds, and then our leadership group on the bench did a great job reminding everyone that we aren't out
of [the game] yet."

Laurier's resilience shone through on a third-period power play. A crisp cross-crease play set up Olivia MacMillan, who buried the equalizer just before the midway point. It held up to force overtime.

In the extra frame, Laurier's defensive pressure forced a turnover, springing a crucial 2-on-1 rush, seeing goal scorers MacMillan and Maltby streaking down the ice. 

MacMillan delivered a perfect feed under the defender's stick to Maltby, who deked and fired a low shot under the blocker, completing the comeback and securing the victory for the purple and gold.

"It was a collective effort, from top to bottom," said Knezic. "The whole team brought it, and it's nice to see the group start building confidence and knowing that they can fight back. 

"It's kind of like a new year, new attitude."

The Golden Hawks will look to extend their winning streak to four games on Saturday night - which would match a season high - when they face the Carleton Ravens. 

Puck drop is at 7:00 pm and the game can be seen live on OUA.tv.