The Burlington Barracudas and Mississauga Hurricanes delivered a classic U22 Elite playoff-style battle that required overtime to decide, with Burlington ultimately securing a dramatic 3-2 victory. The game was a tense, back-and-forth affair defined by special teams and a resilient goaltending performance from the Barracudas' Mackenzie Ferguson. Despite being outshot 28-16 over the course of the game, Ferguson stood tall, turning away 26 shots to give her team a chance. At the other end, Kalia Pharand was solid for Mississauga, making 13 saves, but the Barracudas made their limited opportunities count in the clutch.
The third period erupted with a flurry of goals that set the stage for overtime. Burlington's Elleh Frigui opened the scoring midway through the frame, assisted by Addison Butler and Madeline Delahunt. The Hurricanes responded swiftly on the power play, as Olivia Aquino found the back of the net to tie the game. Just over three minutes later, Maria Mazi put Mississauga ahead 2-1, with assists from Tiani Makokis and Aquino. The Barracudas showed their resolve, however, as Georgia Haaksma answered back less than two minutes later, converting feeds from Butler and Frigui to knot the game at 2-2 and force overtime.
In the extra frame, a late penalty proved costly for the Hurricanes. With Marissa Gloyns in the box for holding, the Barracudas' power play unit went to work. With just 47 seconds remaining in overtime, Lauren Kruzel became the hero, firing home the game-winning goal. Madeline Delahunt and Keelin Song provided the assists, capping off a hard-fought win for Burlington. The game was a physical contest with 13 minor penalties called, but the Barracudas' ability to capitalize on their final power play chance sealed a gutsy road victory built on opportunistic scoring and stellar netminding.
Mississauga Hurricanes #5875