LONDON, Ont. - Western fell short and was unable to keep up with Queen's in a 6-1 loss.
The Mustangs single goal was scored by Lindsay Gidomski (Mississauga, Ont.), assisted by Brittany Buck (Etobicoke, Ont.) and Emilie Canham (Scarborough, Ont.).
The Gaels came out strong during the opening period and kept the pressure in the Western zone. A close attempt was made by Carly Rolph (Guelph, Ont.) for the Mustangs, who caught Queen's goalie off-guard but was stopped by a defense skate. Possession of the puck was regained by the Gaels, who passed it up the ice for the first goal of the night at 3:45 on the clock.
Queen's commanded the game play as Western's Tara Cation (Caledon, Ont.) was handed a hooking penalty, giving Queen's the man advantage to score a power play goal half way through the first period.
Penalties were handed back and forth to both teams, with Queen's Elizabeth Kench given 4 minutes for charging. The Mustangs were not able to optimize their position and with 1:30 left in the period, the Gaels used their speed and quick passes to beat Jessica Ulrich (Keswick, Ont.) for a third goal.
The period closed with a score of 3-0 for Queens, who outshot the Mustangs 16-7.
Both teams held their ground throughout the second period. Strong attempts were made at goal but neither team prevailed, keeping the scoreboard locked at 3-0.
Quick feet and short passes dominated the beginning of the third period as Queen's looked to seal the deal on their lead. The penalty count started high for the Mustangs, who found themselves in a rough predicament when Queen's gained a 5-on-3 man advantage. Western could not hold the line, causing the Gaels to score their 4th goal of the game at 8:42 in the third. Queen's followed up with another power play goal just a few seconds later.
With Western desperate to put some points on the board, Buck and Canham charge into the Gaels zone and found Gidomski, who shot the puck into the upper right corner to defeat Queen's goalie. The tables continued to turn for the better as Queen's received back-to-back penalties, giving the Mustangs a 5-on-3 advantage. Despite their numbers gain, the Mustangs were unable to capitalize on it and the period ended with a final score of 6-1.
Queen's shots on goal prevailed against Western 38-20.
The Mustangs will take on York this Saturday, Jan. 29 at 4 p.m. in Thompson Arena.
