The Nepean Wildcats stormed out of the gate and weathered a late Central York Panthers rally to secure a 6-4 victory in a penalty-filled affair. The Wildcats established their dominance early, capitalizing on a power play just over five minutes into the game when Mallea McMullin (#8) opened the scoring, assisted by Kate Viel (#77) and Jaylee MacKinnon (#14). The pressure continued, and Sydney Semiga (#18) doubled the lead less than a minute later. The Panthers showed their resilience, however, as Annabella Van Berkel (#12) answered back just 47 seconds after that to cut the deficit to 2-1 after a frantic opening period that saw the Wildcats outshoot the Panthers 12-8.
The second period was a wild, back-and-forth frame defined by special teams. The Wildcats restored their two-goal lead on another power play, with Sydney Semiga (#18) netting her second of the night. Central York’s Lily Paisley (#16) responded with a power-play marker of her own to make it 3-2, but Nepean’s offensive depth proved too much. Alessia Longo (#90) and Carly O’Connor (#22) scored just 30 seconds apart late in the period, with O’Connor’s goal coming on the power play, to seemingly put the game out of reach at 5-2. Yet, the Panthers refused to quit, and Annabella Van Berkel (#12) scored her second of the game in the final minute of the period, assisted by Zoe Ordanis (#21) and Abby Pak (#13), to give Central York a lifeline heading into the third.
The Panthers carried that momentum into the final frame, tilting the ice and outshooting the Wildcats 12-6. Their persistence paid off when Annabella Van Berkel (#12) completed a remarkable hat trick midway through the period, bringing the score to a tense 5-4. Central York pressed hard for the equalizer, but the Wildcats’ defense held firm. With the Panthers’ net empty in a desperate final push, Maggie Hughson (#24) sealed the victory for Nepean with an empty-net goal in the dying minutes, capping off a hard-fought 6-4 win. Despite the loss, Panthers’ Annabella Van Berkel (#12) was the standout performer with a three-goal night, while the Wildcats’ balanced attack, led by Sydney Semiga’s two goals and an assist, proved decisive in a game where both goalies faced a barrage of shots.
Mississauga Hurricanes #5875