The U of T women’s hockey team extended their win streak to 17 this weekend as they defeated both the Windsor Lancers and the Western Mustangs at home at Varsity Arena. The nation’s fourth ranked Varsity Blues, and last years Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) runners-up, showcased an array of tight defence and supreme offense as they secured two shutouts on Friday and Saturday nights, racking up seven goals in the process.
Friday’s game ended in a 2-0 victory for the Blues. “They played a solid game, although they didn’t score on some key opportunities,” said head coach Karen Hughes. Both of the Varsity Blues goals came in the first period and were scored by veterans Sue McCutcheon and Bree Kruklis. “Although they did not play at their true level [compared to Saturday], it was a tighter game and the girls still came out victorious.”
Proving they were every bit the number one team in the Ontario University Association (OUA) league, the Blues came out strong on Saturday against the Western Mustangs defeating them by a staggering 5-0. “This was a great game for the team. They had tons of scoring chances and had some really good power play goals,” marveled Hughes. “While Western played pretty rough, the team battled through really well.” Goal scorers were as follows: Elise Acheson, Bree Kruklis, Jill Savin, Mary Modeste, and Sue McCutcheon. Player of the game was Bree Kruklis.
With these victories, the Varsity Blues continue to remain in first place overall in the OUA standings, edging out the second place Queen’s by a few points. The women play again next Friday night against the Laurier Golden Hawks, a team that is currently fighting for top spot in the OUA west division.
