The Windsor Lancer women's hockey team kicked off their quarterfinal match up series of the OUA's 2024 McCaw Cup playoffs with the Guelph Gryphons at the Gryphon Centre on Wednesday night.
The Gryphons opened the series with a 3-0 win over the Lancers and took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series.
GAME STATS
Kristen Swiatoschik kept the blue and gold in it throughout the contest while between the pipes for Windsor making 32 saves on 34 shots faced.
In the other end's crease, Guelph's netminder Martina Fedel recorded a 20 save shutout to blank the Lancers in Game 1.
Guelph's captain Hannah Tait scored two goals to help lead her team over Windsor on home ice.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Lancers found themselves a bit behind the eight ball early by the host Gryphons who were perhaps taking advantage of the visiting Lancers lagging with potential "bus legs" after making the three-hour plus road trip journey up the 401 for the first game of the series.
Guelph outshot Windsor 15-7 in the first frame which also saw them get the first goal of the series at 8:34 of the first when Guelph's captain Tait scored her first goal of the game to put Guelph up 1-0 which held true heading into the first intermission.
Tait's first goal for Guelph would also stand as the lone goal of the game between both teams throughout the second period as both goalies shined which kept the match at a still 1-0 deficit for the Lancers after forty minutes of play going into the second intermission break.
Coming back onto the ice for the final period of regulation, the Gryphons found another golden opportunity to score and extend their lead this time early into the third period when Maeve Sutherland-Case got a shot past Swiatoschik to allow Guelph to grab a doubled-up two goal lead on the Lancers at the 1:27 mark to make it 2-0 Guelph.
Despite the Lancer skaters attempts to challenge Fedel, the Italian born netminder was too tough for the Lancers to solve in Game 1 which made it difficult for Windsor to get on the scoreboard as time dwindled down on the clock.
Tait would add her second goal of the game, an empty netter while shorthanded late in the third at the 19:32 mark to triple the Guelph lead with an insurance marker and put the Gryphons ahead in the series which will resume on Friday.
UP NEXT
The series shifts back down the 401 to Windsor for Game 2 at the Capri Pizzeria Recreation Complex which will take place as mentioned on Friday February 23rd at 7:30 PM.
Tickets are still available for purchase in advance at goLancers.ca/tickets as well as upon entrance at the CPRC gate on gameday. Fans can also catch the action streaming live on oua.tv and be sure to follow along on X for live in-game updates throughout the game.
