The Nipissing Lakers earned their first ever playoff win in style Wednesday afternoon and grabbed a 1-0 series lead on the Queens Gaels in the progress.
Bronwyn Bolduc scored a highlight reel goal in the first overtime period to propel the Lakers to a 2-1 victory in the opening game of the first round of OUA Playoffs, as eight teams chase down the McCaw Cup.
The teams, who were extremely evenly matched, went back and forth, went shot for shot and played a very intense post-season game, gave the fans in attendance one of the best hockey games they've seen all season.
Each team recorded nine shots in the first period, but no one was able to find the back of the net, as the Lakers and Gaels went to the dressing room tied 0-0.
In the second, the teams traded goals and continue to skate stride for stride, looking for an upper hand.
Nipissing got things going with their first of two beautiful goals on the day.
Ava Keis picked a perfect time for her first OUA goal as she took a great stretch pass from
Molly Sipprell and drove the net, sniping a shot upstairs to give Nipissing a 1-0 lead.
Less than five minutes later the Gaels tied the game up with a shot from the slot that hit traffic in front of the net and jumped over
Jackie Rochefort's glove and into the net.
The score stayed 1-1 through the rest of the second and all of the third, as teams traded chances, but nothing found the twine.
Just before the midway point of the overtime, second year forward Bolduc grabbed the puck in the Queens end, made a slick move around the defender, cut to the net and slid the puck past Gaels goalie Caitlyn Lahonen to send the Lakers
bench over the boards to greet the Thunder Bay native with a huge hug.
The win, Nipissing's first playoff victory in the program's history, gives the Lakers the series lead as the teams will head to Kingston for Games 2 and if necessary, three, this weekend.
The final shots were 30-29 in favour of Queens.
Rochefort was very good in net, stopping 29 while Lahonen stopped 27.
Game 2 is Friday night at 7:30 p.m. and Game 3, if Queens can extend the series, would be Saturday night, also at 7:30 p.m.
