The London Devilettes seized control early and never looked back, cruising to a decisive 4-1 victory over the Ridley Tigers. The game's tone was set in the first period, where London's relentless forecheck generated a staggering 13-1 shot advantage, though they were unable to solve Ridley goaltender Grier Cooper. The physicality began to ramp up as well, with London's Jayda Houben and Ridley's Morgan Nodding exchanging penalties, including a double minor for head contact to Nodding. The breakthrough finally came in the second period. After killing off a double minor to Leah Milligan, the Devilettes struck twice in a 40-second span. First, Jayda Houben, making up for her earlier penalty, found the net with help from Alexandria McDonald. Then, AJ Smit potted the eventual game-winner, assisted by Tessa Burdett and Houben, to give London a commanding 2-0 lead.
The Devilettes' offensive depth and special teams proved too much for the Tigers to handle. Jayda Houben added her second goal of the night late in the second period, again from Tessa Burdett, to extend the lead to 3-0. Any hope of a Ridley comeback was snuffed out early in the third when Emerson Moore scored a shorthanded goal just 19 seconds into the period, with assists from Alexandria McDonald and Kennedy Brooks, pushing the lead to 4-0. Ridley's Morgan Nodding managed to spoil the shutout bid for London's Ella Gracey with a goal midway through the third, assisted by Brynne Power and Mckenna Syer, but it was merely a consolation. The Tigers struggled with discipline throughout, taking four minor penalties that kept them on the defensive.
In net, Ella Gracey was a wall for the Devilettes, turning aside 25 of 26 shots for a stellar performance, while her team's defense limited quality chances. For the Tigers, Grier Cooper faced a barrage, seeing 43 shots from London and making several key saves to keep the score from being even more lopsided. The story of the game, however, was London's balanced attack, with Jayda Houben leading the way with a two-goal, one-assist performance, and the playmaking of Tessa Burdett and Alexandria McDonald, who each recorded two assists. The win was a comprehensive team effort for the Devilettes, who outshot and outplayed the Tigers from start to finish.
Mississauga Hurricanes #5875