Leaside U22 Elite notched 2 points against Ridley College on Saturday and nearly completed a comeback against Durham West on Sunday.
On Saturday the team hosted the Ridley College Tigers. After a back and forth first two periods Leaside scored 3 goals in the third to tally a hard fought 4-3 victory.
Points came from 9 different players with goals from Riley Stansfield (77), Siena Harris (16), Sadie Lovering (44) and Lauren Gilbert (88). Assists on the night came from Arianna Vernaza (17) (x2), Hannah Parent (43), Arwen Lee (13), Ava Myers (64), Ava Fisher (29), and Sadie Lovering. Sarah-Lynne Gauthier was strong in net stopping 28 of 31 shots.
On Sunday the Junior Wildcats faced the second place Durham West Junior Lighting (the #4 ranked team in Canada), who entered the game with a 12-1 record. Despite some stellar goaltending from Sara-Lynne Gauthier, who stopped 39 of 43 shots, the Wildcats found themselves down late in the second. The girls showed no quit and mounted a gritty comeback with a goal from Ava Fisher (29), assisted by Ava Myers and Elaina Pilkington (68) with 4 minutes to go in the second.
The strong comeback effort continued early in the third period with 2 goals twenty-two seconds apart bringing the Wildcats to within one. Goals were scored by Sadie Lovering (unassisted) and Ava Fisher from Ava Myers and Elaina Pilkington. A back-and-forth game for the remainder saw Sarah-Lynne Gauthier making some key saves and the team coming very close to potting the equalizer on a late power play but it was not to be.
A very strong performance by the team this weekend will give the girls lots of confidence as it continues its homestand next weekend at Leaside Memorial Community Gardens with the team’s inaugural “Saturday Night Lights” game taking place on Saturday night against Burlington Barracudas U22 Elite at 7:30PM and a Sunday matinee versus the Waterloo Ravens U22 Elite at 2:30PM.
More information about the “Saturday Night Lights” game and other important events, including, the team’s food drive (Nov 20-26) can be obtained on our website at www.LeasideU22Elite.ca.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM:
The Toronto Leaside Girls Hockey Association (TLGHA), one of the largest female hockey associations in the world, has a long history of making the great game of hockey available to young female athletes. Its U22 Elite program represents its pinnacle and since its inaugural season in 2013/14 has supported hundreds of elite athletes in realizing their potential, on and off the ice. The program boasts a roster of 70+ players who have gone on to compete for championships at the USport and NCAA level and professionally, as well as several high finishes in league play in the very competitive OWHA U22 Elite league. The 2023/24 season represents the TLGHA’s 50th anniversary and a renewed focus on restoring the program to its place at the top of elite female junior hockey. For more information about the program please reach out to us at LeasideU22Elite@gmail.com or through our website at www.LeasideU22Elite.ca.
