With a red-hot finish to 2024, suffering just one loss in their final 10 games, the Nipissing Lakers women’s hockey team was back at it Saturday night.
The Lakers hit the ice for the first time in 2025, hosting the Ontario Tech Ridgebacks at Memorial Gardens.
Despite outshooting and out chancing the Ridgebacks, the Lakers dropped a tough 2-1 overtime decision in their first action of the second half of the season.
The Lakers wasted no time finding the back of the net, scoring just a minute into the game.
Madison Desmarais made it 1-0 Lakers, with an assist going to Lana Duriez.
In the middle frame, with the Lakers up a goal, Ontario Tech tied things up early.
The Ridgebacks struck on a power play to make it 1-1 just over two minutes into the period.
The lone goal of the period, that went to Ontario Tech, sent the teams to the intermission deadlocked at a goal apiece.
Shots favoured Nipissing 20-15 through 40 minutes of action.
In the third, neither team was able to find the back of the net despite back and forth action and the game headed to overtime.
In the extra frame, a few chances from each side eventually went the Ridgebacks way.
On a partial two-on-one, after a save, Ontario Tech jammed in the winning goal, escaping with the extra point.
Chantelle Sandquist finished with 22 saves for the Lakers, while Nipissing had 31 shots of their own.
Next up, the Lakers hit the road for a rematch with Ontario Tech, then a matchup with the Queen’s Gaels.
