In its second and final exhibition match-up, the Red defeated the Mississauga Jr. Chiefs 4-3 behind two goals and an assist from sophomore Caroline Scott. The win evened up the Red”s pre-season record at 1-1, giving the squad a final push going into its season opener this Friday against Brown.
The Red opened up the scoring at 16:13 of the first period, when Scott netted her first goal of the game. The score came on the Red”s first power play opportunity, after Mississauga was tagged with a hooking penalty. Fellow sophomore Halina Kristalyn contributed to the 1-0 lead with the first of her three assists on the day, pulling back the puck after a face-off and delivering it right to Scott. However, the lead did not last nearly long enough for the Red to build momentum, as Mississauga”s Beth Rotenberg blasted one past Red goalie Sarah McConnachie just six seconds later.
‘Their first goal was a soft goal,’ said Scott. ‘We had all our freshman on the ice, and it was really just a learning experience for them.’
Yet, the Red did not sit back and came roaring out of the gate at the start of the second period. Just 32 seconds after the intermission, senior forward Pearle Nerenberg put one past Mississauga netminder Ashley Carney. Just over six minutes later, at 6:46 of the second period, the Red grabbed a 3-1 lead when Sarah Johnston scored a shorthanded goal, going top shelf on a breakaway against Carney.
The Red managed to hold Mississauga scoreless in the second period, and it appeared that it was going to breeze to victory. Mississauga, however, was not ready to go quietly. After Scott scored her second goal on a two-on-one, again assisted by Kristalyn and again on the power play, the Red grabbed a 4-1 lead that rapidly deteriorated. At 7:27 of the third, Mississauga got a goal from Kori Cheverie, to close the gap to 4-2. Then, after a power play goal from Natalie Payne with just under five minutes remaining, the Red was clinging to a slim, one-goal advantage.
‘After they scored their third goal we really needed to keep our focus on what we had to do, and worked hard to keep them out of our zone,’ freshman defenseman Beth DiBella said. ‘For a while we”ve had trouble with closing out teams,’ Scott said. ‘It”s a mental thing to hold on to a lead. That strength is what wins you hockey games.’
While this was just an exhibition game, the Red will look to carry its offensive prowess into its opener against Brown next Friday, a team that handed the Red two losses last season. This year promises to be an interesting one for the Red, which has added eight freshmen. ‘Our team has been getting along really well, and I think it”s one of the best we”ve had in a few years,’ Scott said.
Archived article by Jacob Lieberman
Sun Staff Writer