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Rams forward Kryshanda Green crashes the net for her game-tying goal.
Photo by Christian Bender
4
Winner Toronto TOR
3
Ryerson RYE
Winner
Toronto TOR
4
Final
3
Ryerson RYE
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 OT 1 OT 2 F
Toronto TOR 0 0 3 0 1 4
Ryerson RYE 0 1 2 0 0 3

Game Recap: Hockey (W) | | Joe Mastromatteo

Blues force game three with double overtime win over Rams

TORONTO - A 4-3 double overtime loss capped off a busy day for Ryerson Athletics, with the women's hockey team falling to the Toronto Varsity Blues. With their loss tonight, the Rams will head back to Varsity Arena Sunday night in a do-or-die game three. 

Lauren Nicholson (Dresden, Ont.) struck twice for the Rams, while Kryshanda Green (Brampton, Ont.) added a clutch goal. Laura Ball (Toronto) had two assists, while Rachel Seeley (Ottawa, Ont.) made 38 saves throughout her whopping 85 minutes between the pipes. Meanwhile, Toronto's Taylor Trussler scored a hat-trick while Cristine Chao added a goal. 

Both benches were left stewing after Ryerson was called for eleven penalties while Toronto was whistled for eight. Despite the squads' combined 38 penalty minutes, Toronto was the only squad to score on the power play, going 1-for-11. The Rams suffered as well, going 0-for-8. 

In the first, a tight-checking game saw neither squad light the lamp. A trio of power plays against the Rams allowed some momentum for the Varsity Blues. Despite outshooting Ryerson 8-1 after twenty, the game stayed scoreless. 

Early in the second, Seeley made two key saves on yet another Rams penalty kill. Brooklyn Gemmill (Cambridge, Ont.) and Erika Crouse (Kirkland Lake, Ont.) answered the successful penalty kill with a chance against Toronto's Erica Fryer in net. An ensuing Rams power play gained some momentum for the Rams as both teams went back and forth in the scoreless tilt. 

Just over halfway into the frame, special teams were called upon again when Nicholson went off for tripping. As the Rams killed it off, Madison Lalonde (Blenheim, Ont.) picked out Nicholson as she stepped out of the box with a dart of a breakout pass. In alone on a breakaway, the dangerous Nicholson let loose a quick wrister, bouncing off the post and in.

Toronto hit the post themselves a few minutes later, but the puck stayed out. The second period ended with the Rams up 1-0 while Toronto stayed up 15-10 in shots.  

In the opening five minutes of the third, three goals left the game at a 2-2 stalemate. Just twenty seconds in, Toronto's Taylor Trussler tied things at one. A minute later, Nicholson scored again on a breakout feed from Laura Ball (Toronto) and Olivia Giardetti (Whitby, Ont.). As she did in the second period, the forward found the far side with a snipe to briefly make it 2-1. 

Just three minutes later, Trussler whacked in a rebound from in close to tie the game at two. 

On their seventh chance of the night with less than ten to go in the game, Toronto took their first lead of the game on the power play. Chao capitalized on a screened Seeley to make things 3-2. 

Just two minutes later, Green tied things up with a patient backhand move off a loose puck in the slot. With Fryer down and out, the captain snuck it under her pad to tie things at three and send the match to overtime. 

The first overtime period went by smoothly despite three penalties against Toronto and two more against the Rams. Ryerson had an ensuing power play carry over into the second overtime period, but failed to convert. 

Despite essentially standing on her head throughout the game, Seeley and the rest of the Rams' puck luck ran out five minutes into the second overtime period. When a bouncing puck went awry off Julie Patricio's (Toronto) stick, Trussler buried her hat-trick game-winner from in front. 

"Either team could have won," said head coach Lisa Haley post-game. "Nobody expects to play five periods of hockey. Honestly, adrenaline starts to take over at that point as well, you're pushing beyond what you actually have in the tank." 

Despite tonight's gruelling effort, Haley was optimistic about game three tomorrow night.  "It's going to be fun to try and do it again tomorrow, I'm sure it'll be just as close."

Ryerson will look to advance to their first ever McCaw Cup final and U SPORTS nationals spot tomorrow, with puck drop at 7:00 p.m. sharp in Toronto's Varsity Arena.
 
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