Windsor Lancers

The University of Windsor Lancers women's hockey team lost their home opener 5-3 to the Ottawa Gee-Gees Friday night at Adie Knox Arena.
 
With the loss, the Lancers are 1-2 on the season heading into their second game of the weekend on Saturday against Carleton.
 
STATS
Through three games, Lancer forwards Emily Eikelboom and Amber Esterbrooks are scoring at a goal-per-game pace, and third-year Odette School of Business student Bridget Cameron has a team-high four assists; moreover, the blue and gold have now received goals from eight different players.
 
For Ottawa, digital transformation and innovation major Alexa Pongo and kinesiology major Gillian Warren sit atop the Gee-Gees goal-scoring leaderboard with three each. Between the pipes, while Rebecca Noble posted 27 saves Friday night for the blue and gold, Clara Genier had a game-high 36 during the visitors' first road win of the year.
 
Three of the last four Windsor-Ottawa matchups have been decided by two goals or less, and each team has a 2-1-0 record this season entering Saturday's slate.
 
GAME FLOW
The Lancers got to their game the quickest, generating two quality scoring chances from an offensive zone toe drag by Emily Eikelboom and a slot shot by Lerissa Stevenson following a race to the puck behind the net; however, following the 15-minute mark, as part of an 89-second stretch, the visitors got the two best chances of the period by hitting the crossbar and forcing Rebecca Noble to make a high-danger glove save.
 
From an offensive perspective, the middle frame got off to a roaring, back-and-forth start. Gee-Gees assistant captain Alexa Pongo kicked off the action with her first goal of the season 20 seconds in, but Lancer neuroscience major Emily Eikelboom countered 30 seconds later with her third goal of the season; furthermore, while Ottawa's Alexa Ferguson scored off a scramble in front of the net 7:31 into the frame, Faculty of Human Kinetics forward Amber Esterbrooks continued her sophomore surge 21 seconds later by adding her third goal of the year on a breakaway. To cap off a five-goal, 12-minute stretch, Alexa Pongo scored her second of the night on the power play to put Ottawa up 3-2.
 
Gee-Gees junior Clara Genier made three game-changing saves against Windsor within the first five minutes of the third period, two of which came in transition from Freya Flook and Keana McKibbon, to set up Gillian Warren's game winner on the power play 13:15 into the final frame. 
 
Winnipeg, Manitoba native Maggie Mitani brought the blue and gold within one on the power play with 4:16 left, but Alexa Pongo scored her hat trick through an empty net, bringing the final score to 5-3.
 
UP NEXT
Windsor will host the Carleton Ravens on Saturday, October 24 at 4:00 p.m. ahead of a four-game road trip through Laurier, Waterloo, TMU, and the Univ. of Toronto from October 30 to November 7. 
 
Tickets are available for purchase at goLancers.ca/tickets, or fans can watch online at oua.tv.