OSHAWA, Ont. – In a game that was delayed because a malfunction with the zamboni door, it was only fitting that it would end in a shootout as the Nipissing Lakers defeated UOIT 4-3 in the Ridgebacks home opener.
 
About an hour and a half prior to puck drop the zamboni door on pad one would not close. While the Campus Ice Centre (CIC) staff worked on solving the problem, the teams would warm-up on pad two. The CIC staff was eventually able to come up with a solution and the game was moved back to pad one with only a ten-minute delay to the start time.
 
Once the game got underway, the teams fought tooth and nail which made for a very entertaining contest. The game was evenly played with Nipissing scoring the opening goal and UOIT coming up with a response in each period.

With Nipissing leading 3-2 for the majority of the third period, Nicole Lopresti (Hamilton, Ont.) took a cross-ice pass from Natasha Tymcio (Caledon, Ont.) and was able to feed Kassidy Nauboris (Brampton, Ont.) in the slot. The third-year forward one-timed the puck in the back of the net to send the game into overtime.
 
After five minutes of 4-on-4 and four minutes of 3-on-3 went scoreless, a shootout was needed to break the deadlock.
 
All three UOIT shooters would come up short while Nipissing's Kaitlyn McManus went five-hole on UOIT freshman goaltender Briar Hughes (Thornton, Ont.) to pick up the extra point.
 
Making her OUA debut, Hughes made 20 saves including a couple of game savers in overtime and the third period. Jacqueline Rochefort made 33 stops for Nipissing in the win.
 
Samantha Forchielli (Hamilton, Ont.) scored the Ridgebacks first goal of the game with Grace Donaldson (St. Thomas, Ont.) and Tymcio picking up assists. The helper was Donaldson's first OUA point as she made her conference debut.
 
After Nipissing went in front 2-1 in the second period, Chelsea Ball (Maple, Ont.) would strike back just 13 seconds later. Shanelle Doucette (Bowmanville, Ont.) recorded an assist on Ball's first goal of the year.
 
Zosia Davis, Brooklyn Irwin and Bronwyn Bolduc were the goal scorers for Nipissing.
 
UOIT (0-1-1) will look to pick up their first win next weekend on the road as they take on the Waterloo Warriors (Friday) and Laurier Golden Hawks (Sunday).

The Ridgebacks next home game is set for Friday, Oct. 28 at 11:30 a.m. against the Toronto Varsity Blues. This will be UOIT's inaugural women's hockey school day game.
 
QUICK LOOK AT THE RIDGEBACKS
Overall Record: 1-4-2
Conference Record: 0-1-1
 
Next game: Friday, Oct. 21 @ Waterloo