The Central York Panthers seized control early and never looked back, skating to a decisive 4-1 road victory over the Waterloo Ravens in U22 Elite action. The story of the game was written in the shot totals, as the Panthers relentlessly peppered Ravens goaltender Danica Averill with 38 shots, while the Ravens managed just 20 against Panthers netminder Jamie Sanford. Despite the lopsided pressure, Waterloo struck first when Emma McCoubrey found the back of the net midway through the opening period, assisted by Summer Ropp and Madelyn Davies. That early lead, however, would be short-lived as the Panthers' offensive machine began to hum.
Central York's comeback was spearheaded by the dynamic play of Annabella Van Berkel. The forward took over the game in the second period, scoring two crucial even-strength goals. She first tied the game late in the frame, with helpers from Abby Pak and Lily Paisley, before netting the eventual game-winner just minutes later to give the Panthers a lead they would not relinquish. The Ravens' discipline began to fray under the pressure, taking a costly head contact penalty late in the period that carried over and set the stage for the Panthers to extend their lead.
The third period saw the Panthers put the game firmly out of reach. Capitalizing on a power play chance created by a Waterloo cross-checking penalty, Catelyn Clark buried a goal assisted by Lily Paisley to make it 3-1. The Ravens, unable to solve Jamie Sanford or generate sustained pressure, pulled their goalie in a last-ditch effort but only succeeded in yielding an empty-net goal to Ellie Lewington to seal the 4-1 final. While Danica Averill faced a barrage and made several saves for Waterloo, the Panthers' balanced attack and control of the game's tempo proved too much to overcome on this night.
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