The Windsor Lancer women's hockey team kicked off the start of their 2023-24 OUA regular season this weekend which began on Thursday at Waterloo versus the Waterloo Warriors. The Lancers dropped their season opener against the Warriors with a 3-1 loss on the road. 
 
The blue and gold then returned home on Saturday to play their first home game of the season at the Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex hosting the Guelph Gryphons where a seven-round shootout decided the fate of the game resulting in a 2-1 loss for the blue and gold gals.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED ON THURSDAY
Scoring opportunities were traded on both sides throughout the first period, although it was the Warriors who managed to secure the first goal of the game with a wicked wrister. In the dying seconds of the first frame, Jessica Legault came up just short with a backhand riser which missed the net. 
 
Swiatoschik opened the second period standing tall for the Lancers with three consecutive strong saves. Approaching the midway mark of the game, the Warriors took charge of their home ice, scoring back-to-back goals in less than one minute of play apart to go up 3-0 on the blue and gold.
 
Although trailing, the Lancers kept up their attacking force with Maggie Peterson's relentless pressure at the front of the net. Maggi DeWolf-Russ' also kept fans on the end of their seats with a backhand shot flying off the post.  
 
Looking to make up some ground and find their first goal of the season, the Lancers picked up the momentum in the third frame. At 8:21 of the third, McKibbin came in clutch, ripping one home on the goalie's blocker side to get the Lancers on the board making it a 3-1 game.
 
In the desperate search of another goal on the power play, Maggi DeWolf-Russ once again met with the post on an offensive rush.
 
Despite their valiant efforts, the blue and gold ultimately fell to the Waterloo Warriors 3-1 in their season opener in Waterloo.  
 
SATURDAY STATS
Maggie Mitani scored the Lancers only goal of regulation on the power play while Jessica Gribbon was the only Lancer to score in the shootout despite the loss. 
 
Maggie Peterson had an assist on the Mitani power play goal at 14:04 in the second period.
 
Lancer goaltender Cadence Petitclerc had an amazing game and put up a 40 save performance to keep her team in the game all throughout the hyperextended contest. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY
Both teams opened the game with a competitive first period exchanging scoring opportunities at both ends of the ice. 
 
Despite that, every shot in the first frame that was put forth towards the goaltenders it was steered aside by both netminders who stood tall in their respective creases to close out the first twenty minutes of hockey on a scoreless note.
 
The goalies continued to steal the show throughout this tightly contested matchup by not allowing easy goals to get past them. 
 
However, Mitani was able to break the scoring draught with her power play marker at 14:04 of the second period to put the Lancers ahead 1-0.  The blue and gold would remain up 1-0 to close out the first two periods of the hockey game.
 
In the third period, Petitclerc and her Gryphon counterpart Martina Fedel continued to stand on their heads with each wanting to backstop their team to a victorious endeavour in this one.
 
It appeared as though Windsor was going to go home with a 1-0 solid win on home ice until the Gryphons crushed that narrative with an equalizing goal that came at 15:08 of the third period to tie the contest up at one goal apiece. 
 
Regulation time would expire, and after 60 minutes of play this game needed overtime. 
 
Both squads traded opportunities on each end of the ice during the 3-on-3 overtime action which included each side taking a two-minute penalty during the 7-minute extra period that granted each team a 4-on-3 powerplay chance for both sides. 
 
Nevertheless, overtime was not the answer and instead a shootout needed to be for this game. A three-round shootout saw both goaltenders remain stellar but because of the way the cookie crumbles in shootouts one side had to be beat at some point. 
 
This game's shootout became a seven-round shootout and goaltending showdown that saw two Gryphons score to eventually win it despite Gribbons lone Windsor survival goal during which kept them alive to extend it.  In the end Guelph emerged victorious with a 2-1 defeat of the Lancers on their first night of the season at the CPRC.
 
With the heartbreaking shootout loss, the Lancer ladies now fall to 0-2 on the young season.
 
UP NEXT
The Lancer ladies will return to the Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex ice on Friday October 20th when they host the York Lions at 7:30pm.  Fans can purchase their tickets in advance here at goLancers.ca/tickets or at the admission gate of the CPRC.  As always, the game will also be streaming live on OUA.tv for anyone to tune in outside the arena.