By Gracie Brison
On Friday evening, the Ryerson Rams women’s hockey team lost 4-3 in a shootout to the UOIT Ridgebacks at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.
The game started off with aggressive shooting from the Ridgebacks with two shots on goal in the first minute and the Rams with zero. The Rams quickly picked up their game sending Emma Rutherford down the ice with a shot, which was saved by goalie Tori Campbell. With the puck still in the Rams end, Jessica Hartwick fired her signature slap shot that too, was blocked. Just seconds after this, Karli Nummikoski scored the first goal of the game, and her first career goal in the OUA, four minutes in.
Fighting back, the Ridgebacks scored one minute after the Rams bringing the score to one all. The tense tie game put emotions on the rise which lead to aggressive shoving tactics, landing Rams’ Alex Rodriguez a two minute penalty for cross checking. But the Rams played tough defense during the penalty kill and kept the puck out of their end.
The Rams entered the second period with strong defense not allowing any shots on their end. The tension on the ice continued with Rams’ rookie defender, Laura Ball finding her spot in the penalty box three times in one period; once for tripping and twice for roughing. Hartwick continued to show off her slap shot attempting three shots on goal in one minute but with no success.
“Scoring the first goal in the game was great, it was an objective because goals have been hard to come by so we felt great about that. But then giving it back felt terrible,” said head coach Lisa Haley.
Heading into what typically would be the final period; both teams were hungry for a goal. At the 16 minute mark, veteran Melissa Wronzberg set up Nummikoski on her second goal of the game.
“It feels good to get out of a little slump and get back on scoring and trying to generate more offense for the team,” said Nummikoski.
Just 17 seconds after this goal, Ball assists Madison Martin on a top left shot for another goal for the Rams to make it 3-1. But the Ridgebacks came back fighting scoring with eight minutes left in the game, and then again moments later on a rebound to tie the game. The brought the game into a fifth period using the new overtime format, where each team sent out three players per side to open the ice up. Haley said that she does like the edition of the three on three though they didn’t get much of a chance to experience it due to a hooking penalty by Hartwick. “I do like the change and I think it is going to give us a better indication of which team should have won the game,” she said.
The teams went into a shootout where Connoly shot and missed for the Rams followed by another miss by Sarah McGilvray. The Ridgebacks made both of their shots to secure the win
The Rams will play their next game on Saturday Oct. 17 against Queen’s at the Mattamy Athletic Centre starting at 2:30 p.m.
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