The Gee-Gees’ third-period comeback stomps the Blues, advancing them to the OUA Semi-finals.
The last varsity team standing is heading to the OUA Semifinals against the Laurier Golden Hawks. After losing the first game in Toronto, the Gees came back to the O Town and completely turned things around. The Gees sent the Blues back home on a bitter bus as they booked their trip to Waterloo.
Game Two
The Gees came out hot on the home ice of the Minto Sports Complex, with all fans behind them as they battled to keep the quarter final series alive. Towards the end of the first period, the Gees had their first power play opportunity, showing flashes of stellar offence from their first and second lines.
With under a minute remaining on the powerplay, Ella Humphrey passed it to Naomi Morin out in front, getting it past Lyla McKinnon to set the tone, 1-0. The Gees outshot the Varsity Blues 9-3, in a dominant first period.
The Varsity Blues Petra Klimes responded with an easy goal, the bouncing puck in Clara Génier’s empty crease made for a light comeback, 1-1.
With five minutes remaining in the second period, the Varsity Blues were off to a two-on-one break, but the pass in front led a trailing Sydney Lynch to body a Blues player into Génier who was slow to get up after the scary collision.
The game was neck and neck going into the final period— there was something strange in the atmosphere, the tides had unknowingly changed. Just over a minute into action, Humphrey was down the wing, playing it to Morin in front who cut to the back hand, sniping passed the left side of McKinnon to take the lead, 2-1.
If there was anyone keeping the Gees in this game, it was the legendary Clara Génier who was for saves, making several highlight saves in the final minutes sending the OUA quarter finals series to game three.
Game Three
24 hours later, the Minto Sports Complex was back to full capacity, with heavy nerves of anticipation of who would stay alive in the brutal OUA playoff race. The McCaw Cup so close, yet so far, the Garnet and Grey fought hard to set the tone with their second season in the OUA.
All was square in the first period, but following two penalties on both sides, the second period would start four-on-four.
The Gees gave it everything they had on their three minute penalty kill, with Maëlle Laplante in the sin bin the Gees were missing a key defender.
Unfortunately, in the final seconds of the penalty kill, Varsity Blues Taylor Delahey sniped it top right corner for a beautiful goal past Génier to take the lead.
Coming to the end of the period, Alexa Pongo was off on a break, shooting it by McKinnon, but the puck rang off the post and out—keeping the Varsity Blues lead intact.
Two minutes into the final period, the Gees would get a golden power play opportunity. Pongo behind the net, passed it out to captain Beatrice Bilodeau in front, tucking it beneath the pads of McKinnon to tie the game 1-1.
Shortly after the game-tying goal, Alex Ferguson and Bilodeau were off to a two-on-one fast break — luck struck the ice as the lone Varsity Blues defender fell and Bilodeau was all alone, shooting it brutally to the back of the net to take the lead, 2-1. “It was such a powerful moment out there. My teammates had me fired up!” said captain Bilodeau. “Coming into the third [period], we were all over them and with the way our group was pushing, it felt like it was only a matter of time before we came back.”
The announcer was still crediting Bilodeau’s goal, as Ella Humphrey slapped it on net, and T.J Flores got the rebound, putting it past McKinnon again to take a 3-1 lead. Almost getting a 4-1 lead when Madison Desmarais was on the break, but was stopped on a clutch save.
With all fans on their feet, the crowd was rowdy behind a phenomenally quick comeback from the Gee-Gees.
It looked like Toronto’s season was over, as their assistant captain headed to the box with three minutes remaining, unable to pull the goalie on the penalty kill. While the Gees walked away with the win in game three moving onto the semi finals.
At some points it looked like the Gees had lost hope, mainly during the second period when the team couldn’t stay out of the box. However, overcoming the odds and battling through that adversity, they generated a third period comeback so swift, it knocked Toronto’s socks off, and the fans, and perhaps maybe their own. “You play a lot of games, but this one was really special. This group is a pretty tight knit group, and we just had to win here at home in that fashion. We could draw it up a bit differently, but I couldn’t draw it up any better at the same time.” said coach Ali Domenico.
The home ice advantage really does a lot for the Gees, having lost game one 6-3 in Toronto, to then coming back and winning two in a row at home. Coach Domenico said, “We’ve been really good at home… but honestly that first game wasn’t necessarily our best effort. We took a lot from it which was good, and coming back home again, we’ve had some pretty strong games.”
Bilodeau and the team are hyped heading into the semi finals against the Golden Hawks, stating on behalf of the team “We’re so excited to be heading into the semi finals. We’ll keep playing our best hockey, trusting our chemistry, our compete level and the way we support each other. We’re ready to battle as a team to get through the next series.”
Be sure to flood Minto once again on Thursday March 5, as the Gees host the Golden Hawks for game one, get your tickets here.
