The Stoney Creek Sabres and Mississauga Hurricanes delivered a nail-biting, back-and-forth affair that required overtime to decide a winner. The Sabres struck first on the power play early in the opening period, as Claire Sanford converted a setup from Reese Kletke and Adison White just six seconds after a Hurricanes penalty. Mississauga answered back before the period was out, with Olivia Aquino netting an even-strength tally to knot the score at 1-1. The middle frame was a tense, scoreless battle, with the Hurricanes holding a slight 14-12 edge in shots, but both goalies, Grace Kipfer for Stoney Creek and Kalia Pharand for Mississauga, stood tall to keep the game deadlocked.
The third period saw the special teams battle continue. The Sabres reclaimed the lead on another power play, with Aubrey Morrison finding the back of the net off assists from Olivia VanSickle and Ashley Austin. The Hurricanes showed their resilience, however, as Tiani Makokis scored with an assist from Keira Owen to tie the game 2-2 with just under three minutes remaining in regulation, setting the stage for a dramatic finish. The tension escalated late when Stoney Creek's Mikayla Barnes was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for checking from behind, forcing the Sabres to kill a crucial penalty to start the extra frame.
In a stunning turn of events, the Sabres not only killed off the major penalty but won the game in the dying seconds of overtime. With the clock ticking down, Olivia VanSickle became the hero, scoring an even-strength goal to secure a hard-fought 3-2 victory for Stoney Creek. Grace Kipfer was stellar in the Sabres' net, turning aside all 34 shots she faced for a shutout performance, while her counterpart Kalia Pharand was equally impressive with 35 saves in a losing effort. The game was a testament to both teams' fortitude, but the Sabres' ability to capitalize on power plays and deliver under the most intense pressure earned them the two points.
Mississauga Hurricanes #5875