London, ON – The Ottawa Gee-Gees secured a 4-1 victory over the Western Mustangs in the Alumni Game at Thompson Arena. The game was filled with penalties, with Western committing six infractions and Ottawa five.
The first period, Florence Lessard from Ottawa capitalized and took the early lead just two and a half minutes in. The Mustangs responded quickly, looking for the equalizer. Avry Pedersen had a scoring opportunity, firing a clean shot from the slot, but Ottawa's goaltender made a free save to keep the away team taking the lead.
With six minutes remaining, Ottawa got the first penalty of the game, giving Western a power-play opportunity. The Mustangs generated few quality chances but couldn't break through. Shortly after, Western took their first penalty, putting Ottawa on the power play, but the Mustangs' penalty kill held strong to close out the period.
The second frame began with fast-paced action, as both teams created scoring chances within the first minute. There were several power plays, but the score remained unchanged—until Adeline Kristoff broke into the Gee-Gees' zone. Five minutes into the period, Kristoff found the back of the net unassisted, tying the game 1-1.
"Yeah, I know they're gonna be physical and step up on you. So we worked a lot this week on chipping pucks in behind and having close support so we can use our speed up ice and play to our advantage." Head Coach Candice Moxley remarked.
Both teams saw multiple power-play chances, with Ottawa physically pressing hard for a go-ahead goal. Western's penalty kill stood tall, keeping the game even heading into the final period.
The third period, Ottawa struck again, Reece Mepham reclaiming a power play goal and had a lead at 2-1 at 3:23.
With four minutes remaining, Ottawa extended their lead to 3-1, making Western's comeback attempt even tougher.
The Mustangs pulled their goalie off the ice and tried to use the man advantage to close the gap, but Ottawa sealed the win with an empty-net goal, putting the game out of reach for the Mustangs.
"Tonight, we gave ourselves every opportunity to win a hockey game. But again, it's those small mental mistakes that end up in the back of our net, which we just can't afford against any team in our league. It's so competitive every night, so we just gotta be sharper." said Head Coach Candice Moxley post-game.
Next Game:
Mustangs will aim to bounce back Friday night against Windsor Lancers on home ice. Puck drop is set for 7 pm.
