The Windsor Southwest Wildcats escaped with a narrow 5-4 victory over the Ottawa 67s in a back-and-forth contest defined by special teams and a frantic final push. The game opened with a flurry of action, as Wildcats' Taylor Wilkins opened the scoring just over five minutes in. Ottawa responded quickly, with Norah Nyaba knotting the game at one. The 67s then capitalized on a major opportunity when a double-minor for head contact to Payton Burnett gave them an extended power play. Anna Rossner made no mistake, converting with assists from Lilli White and Nyaba to give Ottawa their first lead. The period's chaos continued with a penalty shot awarded to Ottawa's Sophia Contant, which was stopped by Wildcats' goalie Paige Oliver, a crucial save that kept her team within one. Polly Almstedt would extend the Ottawa lead to 3-1 before the first intermission, finishing a play set up by Ella Robertson and Quinn Toll.
The second period saw the offenses continue to trade blows. Jane Synott restored Ottawa's two-goal cushion, assisted again by the playmaking Toll. But the Wildcats refused to fade. Alexis Slota and Lea Giroux scored just 56 seconds apart late in the frame, with Giroux's goal assisted by kiley couture, to pull Windsor Southwest back to within a single goal heading into the third. The final period became a special teams battle. Taylor Wilkins struck again, this time on the power play, to tie the game at 4-4. The game-winning goal came with just over six minutes remaining, as Tristan Larocque buried a power-play marker, assisted by Ella Warren and Emma Holm, to complete the Wildcats' comeback.
In a game where goalie stats were not officially tracked, the narrative was written by the skaters. For the Wildcats, Taylor Wilkins' two goals, including a key power-play tally, were instrumental, while Tristan Larocque delivered the decisive blow. Ottawa's offense was powered by a committee, with Norah Nyaba and Jane Synott finding the net and Quinn Toll contributing two crucial assists. The penalty sheet was busy, with Ottawa's Jane Synott taking three minors and the team ultimately surrendering two third-period power-play goals that proved to be the difference. Despite outshooting the Wildcats 33-25, the 67s couldn't solve Paige Oliver enough late, as the Wildcats' netminder and her team held on for a hard-fought road victory.
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