The Brampton Canadettes used a pair of power-play goals to secure a hard-fought 2-1 road victory over the North York Storm in a tense OWHL U22 Elite matchup. The game was a story of special teams and goaltending, with Brampton's Sydney Sammut turning in a stellar performance, stopping 30 of 31 shots to backstop her team to the win. The Storm, despite a strong push in the final two periods, couldn't solve Sammut enough to overcome their early penalty troubles.
The first period was dominated by Brampton's forecheck, as they outshot the Storm 11-4 and drew a pair of early penalties. North York's penalty kill, anchored by goalie Kaitlyn Earl, held firm through the opening frame. The deadlock was finally broken early in the second period. With North York's Paityn Berry in the box for tripping, Brampton's power play capitalized. Adiah VanEngen found the back of the net, assisted by Ashlyn Armstrong and Anika Mahon, to give the visitors a 1-0 lead. The Storm began to find their legs as the period wore on, outshooting Brampton 10-5, but they couldn't beat Sammut.
North York's persistence paid off in the third period. At the 7:02 mark, Ashlyn Donald broke through with an even-strength tally, assisted by Ava Chefero-Iannazzo, to knot the game at 1-1 and energize the home bench. The Storm continued to press, holding a 11-8 shot advantage in the final frame. However, the game took a decisive turn in the final minutes. With just over a minute remaining in regulation, a costly head contact penalty against North York's Breazzlyn Taylor sent Brampton to a crucial power play. The Canadettes wasted no time, as Ashlyn Armstrong scored the game-winner with 1:29 left, assisted by Samantha Kosakowski and Sofia Starr, to seal the 2-1 victory for the visitors. Despite the loss, Kaitlyn Earl was brilliant for North York, making 28 saves to keep her team in the contest until the final buzzer.
Mississauga Hurricanes #5875