The Windsor Lancer women's hockey team was back in action this weekend to kick off the 2024 calendar year and winter semester at home against their 401 rivals, the Western Mustangs. 
 
On Friday January 5th the Lancers were able to top the Mustangs with a 2-1 overtime victory at the Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex.  Meanwhile on Saturday January 6th the Mustangs emerged victorious over the Lancers serving them a 1-0 revenge overtime loss at the CPRC.  
 
FRIDAY STATS
Maggi DeWolf-Russ was the hero in overtime on Friday scoring an unassisted marker and sealing the deal for the blue and gold over the purple and white with her fifth goal on the 2023-24 campaign.
 
Keanna McKibbin scored on the powerplay while Jessica Gribbon and Elizabeth Coleman picked up the helping assists on McKibbin's third goal of the season.
 
In goal Cadence Petitclerc stood tall making 25 saves and only allowing one goal through 62:51 minutes played in the extra period victory over Western.
 
Western's Gabrielle Lehoux, a Windsor native, scored the game's opening goal for the Mustangs in her homecoming game back to the local area. 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED ON FRIDAY
Western struck first opening the scoring at 18:24 when Lehoux scored against her hometown team for her team putting up the visiting Mustangs 1-0 with an assist coming off the stick of Kylie Logan to Lehoux. 
 
A scoreless second period put added pressure on the Lancers to chase an equalizer despite both goaltenders guarding their creases exceptionally well with Petitclerc in Windsor's net standing tall while Western's Ella Brabrook turning aside all shots faced in the second as well until being bombarded in the third period with 16 Lancer shots. 
 
One of those shots found the back of the net when McKibbin scored the game's tying goal at 13:32 into the third period to make it a 1-1 game.  Both goalies remained composed and collected in turning aside the remaining shots of regulation before both teams waltzed into overtime with swagger.
 
In an exciting finish, DeWolf-Russ managed to capitalize on an unassisted marker at 2:51 into overtime to end the game with the blue and gold winning the first joust on the weekend over the Mustangs 2-1 in overtime.
 
SATURDAY STATS
Lancer goaltender Holly Borrett was the star of the game for blue and gold with her 27 save performance and not allowing any goals through 60 minutes of regulation play before forfeiting the lone goal of the game in overtime.
 
Western's Adeline Kristoff was the overtime hero for the Mustangs scoring the lone goal of the game six seconds into overtime sneaking a shot past Borrett.
 
Mustangs netminder Brooke Vaccarri earned a 20 save shutout between the pipes for Western in backstopping her team to victory in the rematch affair in Windsor.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY
A scoreless 60 minutes of regulation play may have been boring for some fans inside of the CPRC but there is no doubt that made it one interesting matinee for both teams with both Borrett and Vaccarri amidst a flawless goaltending showdown happening at both ends of the ice. 
 
For the second straight outing for these two competitive squads, overtime was necessary, but this time was not needed for long as Western's Kristoff was able to solve Borrett six seconds into overtime off a pass from Haylie Kirkpatrick to allow the Mustangs to earn a revenge win in Windsor bouncing back from the night before with an overtime win of their own to kick off the start of 2024. 
 
With the loss, the Lancers suffered their third overtime loss this season after earning their first overtime win on the campaign the night before and are currently sitting at an overall 6-11 record while Western improved to 8-8 on the year following the win on Saturday.
 
UP NEXT
The Lancers will continue to host next weekend and will welcome into town the Waterloo Warriors on Saturday January 13th for a 4:00pm puck drop at the CPRC. 
The Ontario Tech Ridgebacks will also make their way down the 401 from Oshawa to Windsor on Sunday January 14th for a 4:00pm start time slated for that contest at the CPRC. 
 
Tickets for both games are available in advance for purchase here at golancers.universitytickets.com as well as at the CPRC rink gate on each game day. 
 
Saturday is also Breast Cancer Awareness Day. Commemorative t-shirts will be for sale for only $15, with proceeds going to the Canadian Cancer Society.
 
Both games will also be webcast live on OUA.tv available for fans to tune into from outside the rink for both games.  Be sure to also follow all official Windsor Lancers social media platforms including X (formerly Twitter) for live updates on game days!