The Bluewater Hawks opened the scoring early and held on for a gritty 2-1 road victory over the Brampton Canadettes in a U22 Elite contest. The Hawks set the tone in the first period, outshooting Brampton 13-5 and capitalizing on their pressure. Just over four minutes into the game, Mathilda Moorehouse, assisted by Zoé Morin and Payton Biser, found the back of the net to give Bluewater a lead they would never relinquish. Brampton struggled with discipline early, taking three minor penalties in the opening frame, but their penalty kill and goaltender Sydney Sammut, who faced a barrage of 31 shots, kept them within striking distance.
The middle frame saw a complete reversal in momentum as the Canadettes came out flying, dominating the shot clock 15-6. Despite their relentless pressure and a power play opportunity after a cross-checking penalty to Bluewater's Hannah Ahlberg, they could not solve Hawks netminder Kayla Taff. The game remained a tense, one-goal affair heading into the third period. Brampton finally broke through on Taff midway through the final period when Adiah VanEngen converted a setup from Gracie McKee and Kristina Eccleston to tie the game at 1-1, energizing the home bench.
The celebration was short-lived, however. Just over eight minutes after Brampton tied it, the Hawks responded to reclaim the lead. Mathilda Moorehouse turned playmaker this time, setting up Maggie Alcock for what would stand as the game-winning goal. The Canadettes pressed for another equalizer but took two more penalties in the dying minutes, hampering their comeback efforts. A late slash by Bluewater's Skylar Doxtator gave Brampton a final power play with 37 seconds left, but they could not capitalize. Kayla Taff earned the win in goal for the Hawks, while Sydney Sammut's 29-save effort for Brampton went for naught in a hard-fought defensive battle.
Mississauga Hurricanes #5875