The Toronto Aeros built a commanding lead on the strength of their power play and held off a furious third-period rally from the Brampton Canadettes to secure a 3-2 victory. The game was defined by special teams and physical play, with the Aeros capitalizing on early opportunities while the Canadettes' netminder, Sydney Sammut, faced a barrage of shots to keep her team in the contest. Toronto's Ashley Hodgins earned the win in net, though the shot totals tell the story of a game largely played in the Brampton zone for the first two periods.
Toronto set the tone early, outshooting Brampton 14-4 in the opening frame. They broke through on their first power play chance, as Amanda Hodgins converted a setup from Jaelyn Mundy and Sophia Liu at the 7:10 mark to give the Aeros a 1-0 lead. The Aeros extended their advantage in the second period, again on the power play, with Claire Severn finding the net off assists from Freya Flook and Alexa Labrecque. Just over three minutes later, Olivia Visconti scored at even strength, with Severn and Mundy picking up the helpers, to push the lead to 3-0. Brampton finally found an answer midway through the period when Kristina Eccleston scored, assisted by Adiah VanEngen and Julia Sayej, to cut the deficit to 3-1. The Canadettes gained more momentum just before the second intermission as Tatum Anderson scored, with Anika Mahon and Josie Meredith assisting, making it a 3-2 game heading into the third.
The final period saw a dramatic shift in momentum, with the desperate Canadettes unleashing 16 shots to Toronto's 5, but they could not solve Ashley Hodgins for the equalizer. The Aeros' discipline wavered in the third, taking three consecutive penalties. The most severe was a checking-from-behind major and game misconduct assessed to Claire Severn with just under five minutes to play, which also carries a suspension. Despite a lengthy 5-on-3 advantage late in the game, Brampton's power play could not capitalize. Sydney Sammut was brilliant in the Canadettes' crease, making 30 saves on 33 shots to give her team a chance, but the early three-goal hole proved too deep to climb out of as the Aeros skated away with the narrow win.
Mississauga Hurricanes #5875