Things got heated inside Varsity Arena on Saturday night, as the U of T Blues (9-3-1) took on the Western Mustangs (1-4-7) in a hard-fought match on a night when many spectators were deterred by blistering cold temperatures.

The game started off slowly, with no scoring in the first period; however, things slowly progressed for both teams. The second period displayed the teams fighting harder to obtain the all-important first goal, as evidenced by several penalties against the Mustangs for rough play.

Unfortunately, the Blues couldn’t seem to get their act together during power plays. A combination of U of T’s inability to set up passes and Western’s excellent defensive penalty killing put a cap on many scoring opportunities, in spite of the hard work by captain Jill Savin’s line during several minutes with the man advantage.

The game came to life in the third period, as the Mustangs started forechecking harder and putting more pressure on the U of T defence. However, things turned from sportsmanlike to ugly with what appeared to be an intentional cross check to the head of Blues star player Jacqueline Cherevaty, leaving her motionless on the ice.

Cherevaty, a fifth-year player from Mississauga, ON, proved to be tough, as she skated off the ice with the help of her teammates. She later came back to the ice in the third period to finish the game.

No penalty was called on the play, but a review of the incident may be needed, as the hit violated the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) rules of conduct. A possible suspension against the Mustang player may be in the forecast.

The non-call fired up the Blues, as Janine Davis’ shot on Western’s goalie Sara Pickard proved to be the best attempt of regulation time, but Pickard came through and blocked the shot. The Blues showed that they were still alive and full of energy heading into overtime, as the third period came to an end without a goal.

Overtime picked up tremendously and contained the play of the game, which was orchestrated by Blues forward Justine Todd. Head coach Karen Hughes’ practice drills paid off as Todd slipped by the Mustang defence, faked the shot on Pickard, and slipped it underneath the pads for a goal through the five-hole for the goal and the overtime victory. This is win number nine for the Blues since the season started in October.

Catch more action this week, as Toronto hosts Queen’s on Friday and York on Saturday.