A tough start to the second semester will force the Nipissing Lakers women's hockey team to get back to what made them successful through the first half of the season.

While it's not time to panic, the Lakers dropped their second game of the weekend, losing 4-3 in a shootout to the UOIT Ridgebacks a night after falling by one goal to the Queens Gaels.

The Lakers led 2-0 and 3-2, but were unable to hold on and secured a single point.

Nipissing got off to a great start, scoring twice in the first six minutes of the game to grab command of the game.

Brooklyn Irwin got things going for the Lakers with her third of the season. Jetta Derenoski and Ava Keis picked up the helper on the game's first goal.

Less than four minutes later, Melissa Tolton fired home her second of the year to make it 2-0.

Natalie Graham – who had two points on the night – assisted on Tolton's goal.

UOIT replied with 13 seconds left in the first, cutting the Lakers lead in half and sending the teams to the intermission break separated by just one goal.

In the second, up 2-1, Nipissing extended their lead, as Bronwyn Bolduc put home her second goal in as many games, making it 3-1.

The goal was Bolduc's team-leading ninth of the season.

About a minute later, UOIT answered and once again cut their deficit by a goal.

After 40 minutes, the Lakers led 3-2, but the lone goal of the third period came off the stick of UOIT, as they made it 3-3 to send the game to extra time.

Both teams had chances in overtime and UOIT had a goal waved off at the end of the first overtime period, but nothing was solved, so a shootout decided this matchup.

After each team was two-for-three through the regular shooters, the game went to sudden death shots and UOIT came out on top.

Graham finished with two assists, while Micaela Stutzki finished with 18 saves in the overtime loss.

Nipissing will now hit the road, looking to get back into the win column as they faced Windsor and Western next Saturday and Sunday.