LU women's hockey team shoots for positive end to season

Though the playoffs are all but out of reach for the Laurentian Voyageurs women's hockey team with eight games remaining on the schedule, closing off the 2014-2015 season on a positive note is still quite achievable.

Coach Stacey Colarossi and company were saddled with two more losses on the road over the weekend, though the efforts were encouraging, given the level of competition.

Sitting 12th in the 13-team OUA loop, the 2-10-4 Voyageurs took the Windsor Lancers (10-2-4) to a shootout before succumbing 5-4 on Friday evening.

Nicole Vigilanti, Jessica Staats and Samantha Morrell scored for Laurentian, with Ellery Veerman sending the contest to overtime with a short-handed marker midway through the final frame.

Candice Chevalier, Adalena Tridico, Krystin Lawrence and Jenny McKnight countered for Windsor, with Lawrence and McKnight both beating LU netminder Emily Toffoli-Henderson in the penalty-shot competition.

Julie Hébert replied with the only shootout tally for the visitors, as Windsor outshot Laurentian 38-25.

Come Saturday, the Voyageurs provided a stiff test to the league-leading Western Mustangs, falling 3-1 to their undefeated opponents.

Brianna Iazzolino opened the scoring, beating Laurentian goalie Laura Deller with just five seconds to play in the first period, with Kendra Broad and Sydney Kidd increasing the lead to 3-0 in the second.

The Voyageurs got on the scoresheet thanks to a late power-play goal as Amanda Pereira spoiled the shutout bid of Kelly Campbell, solving the Mustangs goalie with just 46 seconds to play.

Laurentian is back for a three-game homestand over the next two weekends, battling the Waterloo Warriors (6-6-3) on Jan. 17, the Laurier Hawks (8-4-3) on Jan. 18, and the Nipissing Lakers (8-6-2) on Jan. 24.