Cougars pounce in OT win
WOMEN'S HOCKEY
GAME 1: SAULT COUGARS vs DAVENPORT PANTHERS
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The Cougars got off to a good start on the road against Davenport with a closely contested game in the first 10 minutes of the period. The second half of the first saw the Panthers get out ahead with 2 quick goals. Ashleigh Wiwchar would get one back to make it a 2-1 game, but immediately after Courtney Mulligan would restore the Panthers 2-goal lead at the end of the first period.
After the Panthers made it a 4-1 game Mispon Martin lead a Cougars' comeback with 2 quick goals of her own to make it a 4-3 game. The back and forth contest would continue yet again with the Panthers finishing the period with a goal of their own restoring their 2-goal lead yet again.
The third period had both the Cougars and Panthers tighten up defensively, the only goal coming courtesy of Olivia Barsanti. The lone goal in the frame wasn't enough to complete the comeback as the Cougars ultimately had their final few shots stopped by the Davenport goalie and finished with a 5-4 loss.
Cougars scoring was led by Mispon Martin's 2 goals and Olivia Barsanti and Ashleigh Wiwchar added 1 goal each.
GAME 2: SAULT COUGARS vs DAVENPORT PANTHERS
GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Saturday featured the second game of a back to back for the Women's team as they looked to rebound from a 5-4 loss on Friday. The Cougars struck early in the contest with a goal 75 seconds into the game as a shot from Mispon Martin got through Davenport's goalie Dayna Templeton. The rest of the first period featured a heavy dose of stops from Cougars goalie Jenelle Manitowabi stopping 16 shots in the first frame.
The second period saw no scoring because of some stellar play by both goalies with Manitowabi stopping the 9 shots she faced including stopping the Panthers 5-3 power play chances and Templeton stopping the 10 shots she saw from the Cougars offensive push.
The third period was a much different story as the Panthers broke Manitowabi, striking within the first five minutes and again late in the frame to give Davenport the lead. Julia Gaynor, the Panthers goalie who registered the win between the pipes on Friday skated out on Saturday and scored both goals for the Panthers. Shortly after, the Cougars Olivia Barsanti hit back 39 seconds after the Panthers took the lead to even up the game at 2-2 and sending the game into overtime.
The Cougars efforts from the third period carried over into overtime as Martin went over top of Templeton to register her second goal of the game, and the game winner just 31 seconds in.
Cougars scoring was led again by Mispon Martin's second consecutive game with 2 goals along with a goal by Olivia Barsanti.
Up Next: The Cougars head to the road next weekend to play Notre Dame for a 2-game series on Friday November 8th and Saturday November 9th both games starting at 9:00 pm.