The number-one ranked Université de Montréal Carabins defeated the sixth-ranked Toronto Varsity Blues 1-0 Thursday, as the two women’s hockey teams faced off in CIS pool play at the Varsity Arena.
The winning goal came at the end of the game which was characterized by the strong defensive play of both teams. Both the Carabins’ and Blues’ goalies had great games, with Blues’ goalie Nicole Kesteris stopping an impressive 53 shots on the night. The teams were also similar in their strong penalty kills and inability to convert on power play opportunities throughout regulation time.
Both teams played conservatively throughout the game, with their fatigue showing as the match progressed. Time was spent on both ends of the ice, with small shifts in momentum and multiple scoring opportunities for both teams during regulation. The players’ frustration was obvious as they were stonewalled by the opposing goalies.
In the third period, a face-off in the Blues’ end with just 25 seconds left put pressure on the Toronto team, but they were able to clear the puck and keep the game scoreless as the teams were sent into overtime.
As both teams stepped onto the ice for overtime with reduced numbers, the women began playing more aggressively and the game picked up speed. However, this didn’t lead to many more scoring opportunities for either team, and the game remained scoreless after half of overtime had passed.
A penalty took the Toronto team down to just three players with under five minutes left in overtime, and the Carabins stepped up the pressure. Kesteris continued to make some great stops for the Blues, but with just ten seconds left in the power play, Montréal’s Casandra Dupuis got lucky, sending in a shot with an unexpected bounce that found its way into the Blues’ net. The shot gave the Carabins a 1–0 lead, effectively ending the overtime period and the game.
