The Ridley Tigers roared out of the gate, overwhelming the Windsor Southwest Wildcats with a relentless offensive onslaught in the first period to set the tone for a wild 6-4 victory. The Tigers fired an astonishing 21 shots on Wildcats goalie Paige Oliver in the opening frame, and their pressure paid off with three quick goals. Julyana Farray got the party started, followed by markers from Jeevin Khehra and Leah Quinlan, with Lilly Beresford and Lily Laporte chipping in key assists. The period wasn't without its chippy moments, as the Wildcats' Alexis Slota took an early tripping penalty and the Tigers' Abigail Dingwell was assessed a double minor for head contact just before the intermission. Despite the shot disparity, the Wildcats weathered the storm and began to find their footing.
Windsor Southwest clawed their way back into the game in the second period, flipping the script and outshooting the Tigers 14-0. Emma Holm was the catalyst for the comeback, scoring twice, including a goal with just 33 seconds left in the period, to cut the deficit to 3-2. Assists from Taylor Wilkins and Megan Jean fueled the rally, while the Tigers found themselves in penalty trouble with minors to Lilly Beresford and Morgan Nodding. The momentum seemed to have fully shifted to the visitors' bench as the teams headed to the final frame.
The third period was a chaotic and penalty-filled sprint to the finish. The Tigers' Abigail Dingwell capitalized on an early power play to restore a two-goal cushion, but the Wildcats answered right back. With Brynne Power serving a major boarding penalty for Ridley, Windsor's Tristan Larocque and Sophie-Gabrielle Lemieux scored power-play goals just over four minutes apart to stunningly tie the game at 4-4. However, the Tigers showed their resilience. With the game on the line, captain Ivy Morrissey stepped up to net the game-winning goal with just over two minutes remaining. Lily Laporte then sealed the deal with an empty-netter in the final half-minute, capping off a multi-point night and securing the hard-fought win for Ridley.
Mississauga Hurricanes #5875