The London Devilettes skated into Cambridge and emerged with a hard-fought 4-3 victory in a penalty-filled, back-and-forth affair. The game was defined by special teams and a frantic third period. London struck first on the power play, as Ella Du converted a setup from Julia McIntosh and Avery Thomsen midway through the opening frame. Despite being shorthanded, London's Alexandria McDonald doubled the lead late in the period, finishing a play from Ella Gracey. The Devilettes extended their advantage in the second period with another power-play marker, this time from Jayda Houben, assisted by Emma Bovin and Emerson Moore. Cambridge finally broke through on goaltender Emma Kloosterman with just 21 seconds left in the second, as Olivia Carriere scored at even strength from Lauren Stiles and Micah Carswell to give the Rivulettes life heading into the third.
That momentum carried over, as the Rivulettes' power play clicked early in the final period. Sara Hillock buried a chance, assisted by Ava Strome and Ella Neil, to cut the deficit to 3-2. However, London responded with lightning speed. Just 16 seconds later, Katherine Cameron restored the two-goal cushion, with Gracey and Thomsen picking up their second assists of the night. Cambridge refused to quit, and Jenna Charron answered back a mere 18 seconds after that, making it a 4-3 game with helpers from Madeleine Kim and Reese Reid. Despite a furious push that saw them outshoot London 13-11 in the period, the Rivulettes could not find the equalizer against Kloosterman, who was credited with the win.
The game was a physical battle, with 18 minor penalties called. Cambridge's Emersyn Miller took two early infractions, while London's Leah Milligan and Emma Boere each found themselves in the box twice. The chippy play culminated in a scrum at the final buzzer, resulting in roughing minors for both Reese Reid and Emma Boere, with Reid also receiving a double minor for head contact. While the Rivulettes' Courtney Beeksma faced a barrage of 29 shots, the story in the crease was London's Emma Kloosterman, who turned aside a relentless Cambridge attack that fired 45 shots on goal to secure the narrow road victory.
Mississauga Hurricanes #5875