The Nipissing Lakers varsity women's hockey team used a third period surge to defeat the TMU Bold in their home opener Friday night at North Bay Memorial Gardens.
The win moves the Lakers to 2-0 to start the new season.
In the first however, it was TMU who opened the scoring as they struck shorthanded near the midway mark of the frame to take a 1-0 lead.
Late in the period, the Lakers evened things up as Abby Lunney found the back of the net to make it 1-1 after 20 minutes.
Shots heavily favour the Lakers, as they fired 22 shots at the Bold net. TMU had nine.
In the middle frame, an early power play marker put the Bold up a goal once again, scoring less than two minutes into the period.
Less than three minutes later, while on a power play of their own, the Lakers tied the game for the second time.
Madison Laberge corralled a loose puck and fired it upstairs, through traffic, to make it 2-2.
For the third time, the Bold would take a one-goal lead, scoring on the power play again with under five minutes to go.
The Lakers would answer one more time, thanks to Malory Dominico’s tally on the power play less than a minute after TMU went up 3-2.
A flurry to start the period and a flurry to end it has the Lakers and Bold tied up at 3-3 after two periods of play.
Nipissing led 32-14 in the shot department after 40 minutes.
In the third, goals about 40 seconds apart propelled the Lakers to their first lead of the night.
First, Lana Duriez gave the Lakers the lead, with assists going to Lunney and Madison Desmarais.
And shortly after, Maggie McKee made a nice move to make it 5-3 Nipissing, sliding the puck under the goalie and into the back of the net.
Desmarais earned her second assist of the night on the insurance goal.
Already up a pair, Desmarais made it a three-point night, burying the Lakers sixth goal of the game and third of the period.
Ashley Taciuk and Laberge, who also had three points, assisted in the 6th tally of the game.
And with under a second to go, Jill Hennessy banged home a loose puck to make it 7-3 in favour of the Lakers.
Chantelle Sandquist was back between the pipes for the Lakers, turning aside 20 shots, while Nipissing fired 43 of their own at the Bold net.
Game time for Saturday’s contest against the University of Windsor Lancers is set for 4 p.m. at Memorial Gardens.
Lakers men doubled by Badgers
The Nipissing Lakers Varsity Men's team fell to 1-4 on the year after dropping a 4-2 decision to the Brock Badgers in St. Catharines Friday night.
Charlie Johnson and Elvis Slack had the Lakers goals, while Reece Proulx finished with 31 saves in the contest for Mike McParland's squad which had a split on the road last weekend against the University of Guelph.
Nipissing is back in action Saturday afternoon as they face the Badgers once again to wrap up their weekend.
