The Ottawa Senators and Brampton Canadettes opened their U22 Elite matchup with a fast-paced first period, but it was the visitors who struck first. Just over two minutes in, Brampton's Anika Mahon (#9) converted a setup from Avery Gillespie (#19) and Tatum Anderson (#92) to give the Canadettes an early 1-0 lead. The Senators pushed back hard, outshooting Brampton 14-12 in the frame, but a late boarding penalty to Ottawa's Lauren O’Neil (#6) kept the momentum in check and sent the teams to the intermission with Brampton holding the advantage.
The middle frame belonged entirely to the home team. Ottawa's relentless pressure, which produced a staggering 19-2 shot advantage in the period, finally paid off. Charlize Danks (#88) tied the game at 1-1, assisted by the recently penalized O’Neil. Just forty seconds later, Avery Wojtyk (#22) found the back of the net, with helpers from Lily Shannon (#18) and Emerson MacDonald (#5), to give the Senators their first lead—a goal that would ultimately stand as the game-winner. Brampton's Margaret Young (#77) took a roughing penalty midway through, but the Canadettes' goalie, Sydney Sammut (#35), stood tall under the barrage to keep her team within a goal, making several of her 44 total saves.
Brampton showed their resilience in the third, fighting back to tie the game at 2-2. Tatum Anderson (#92) returned the favor to her linemate, scoring off assists from Mahon and Gillespie. The tie was short-lived, however, as Ottawa's Keara Kiley (#23) responded just over a minute later, restoring the Senators' lead with another assist from the effective pairing of MacDonald and Shannon. Despite a late push from Brampton, Ottawa goaltender Ivy Nellis (#35) shut the door the rest of the way. Nellis, facing 27 shots, secured the 3-2 victory for the Senators, a win built on a dominant second period and timely responses to Brampton's pushes.
Mississauga Hurricanes #5875