WATERLOO, Ont. - The Golden Hawks women's hockey team battled hard in game one of their best-of-three quarterfinal against Waterloo, but a late-game shift in momentum saw the Warriors complete the comeback in overtime, taking the game 3-2.
The intensity was evident from the opening puck drop, with both teams bringing high energy. Waterloo controlled much of the pace early but struggled to capitalize on their opportunities.
The Golden Hawks broke the deadlock late in the first period when Jersie Lindley found the back of the net by quickly converting a quick, short pass at the top of the crease, giving the purple and gold a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.
Laurier dominated five-on-five play in the second period, limiting Waterloo's chances and keeping the pressure in the offensive zone.
Ella Jackson doubled the Golden Hawks' lead a little over five minutes into the frame, showing great patience as she retrieved a loose puck from the Waterloo goaltender Kara Mark's pads and buried it.
Rookie goaltender Sarah Howell, making her OUA post-season debut, stood tall - making key saves to keep the Warriors off the scoreboard.
The third period, however, saw the tide take an unexpected turn. On their four-minute power play, the Golden Hawks had a prime opportunity to put the game out of reach, but instead, Waterloo's Nikki McDonald capitalized shorthanded.
Picking up the puck off a faceoff, McDonald created space for herself before beating Howell on a breakaway to make it 2-1 early into the third.
Laurier still had chances to close it out as they continued to earn power play opportunities, but their inability to convert proved costly.
With under two minutes remaining, Waterloo pulled Mark for the extra attacker, and the move paid off almost immediately.
Just 20 seconds into the 6-on-5 advantage, Madison Pritchard redirected a shot from the blue line past Howell, tying the game at 2-2 and forcing overtime.
The extra frame was a back-and-forth affair, but Laurier missed key scoring opportunities.
Ultimately, Waterloo sealed the win when Tatum James finished off a centring pass from below the goal line, scoring the game-winner early to complete the Warriors' comeback.
Despite the loss, Laurier showed strong discipline at even strength, something assistant coach Nik Knezic acknowledged post-game.
"I thought we did a great job with our structure at five-on-five. We were happy with our detail in terms of execution, protecting and insulating our end, and generating exits," Knezic said. "Unfortunately, we just tried to make things a little too complicated on the power play, and they won the special teams battle today. But overall, five-on-five, we were great."
Looking ahead, captain Hayley Szymanowski emphasized the team's mindset.
"We had great energy and pressure, and we're confident in our ability to bounce back. Everyone in the room is on the same page—we take tonight to feel how we feel, but tomorrow, we're right back at it, working hard and getting ready for Friday."
With their backs against the wall, the Golden Hawks have one final chance to extend their season. The do-or-die game two is scheduled for Friday night at RIM Park's Pillers Ice Haus in Waterloo. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 pm.
Tickets are available at tickets.laurierathletics.com
The game will also be streamed live on OUA.tv, and real-time updates will be available on X at @WLUAthletics.
