The Mississauga Hurricanes secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Waterloo Ravens in a U22 Elite clash defined by defensive discipline and a late-game heroics. The Ravens struck first, with Maya Slot finding the back of the net midway through the opening period, assisted by Alexa Tout and Lauren Sauve. The Hurricanes responded quickly, however, as Annabelle Kruzich capitalized on a setup from Kika Ho and sophia block to knot the score at 1-1 before the first intermission. The game was a physical affair from the start, with both teams taking multiple penalties, including a double minor for head contact to Waterloo's Lauren Sauve.
The middle frame saw the Hurricanes begin to dominate territorially, outshooting the Ravens 19-5, but they were repeatedly stymied by Ravens goaltender Danica Averill. The penalty boxes remained busy, with infractions for cross-checking, hooking, and slashing keeping the game's flow in check. Despite the barrage of shots, Averill stood tall, turning aside chance after chance to keep the game deadlocked heading into the third period.
The final stanza saw the Hurricanes finally break through. Just seconds after killing off a four-minute slewfooting penalty to kate pasma, Mississauga struck for the game-winner. Tiani Makokis delivered the decisive blow, scoring an even-strength goal with assists from pasma and Bronwyn Langis to put the Hurricanes ahead 2-1. From there, the Hurricanes' defense and goaltender Olivia Hepburn locked things down completely, allowing only two shots in the entire third period to seal the victory. Hepburn's performance between the pipes was instrumental in the win, as she backstopped her team to a crucial two points in a tense, low-scoring affair.
Mississauga Hurricanes #5875