HALIFAX, N.S. – The UOIT women's hockey team had one of their strongest outings on their weekend east coast road trip on Sunday as they played the defending AUS champion Saint Mary's Huskies in Halifax, N.S.
 
The Ridgebacks tried to make another comeback attempt trailing SMU by three goals in the third period but the Huskies managed to survive pulling out a 3-2 victory.
 
This was the Ridgebacks third game in three days as they played St. Thomas and UPEI in the first two games of the trip.
 
It took until 12:05 of the second period for the first goal to be scored as Kate Barber found the back of the net for SMU. Briar Hughes (Thornton, Ont.) played the first thirty minutes in goal for UOIT and stopped all 10 shots she faced.
 
SMU would add a goal late in the second and one more in the third to take a 3-0 lead.
 
UOIT's Chelsea Ball (Maple, Ont.) would get the Ridgebacks on the board with an unassisted marker with 13 minutes to go. Shanelle Doucette (Bowmanville, Ont.) followed that up with a goal to get the Ridgebacks within one at the 12-minute mark. Hamilton natives Nicole LoPresti and Teresa Horner picked up assists. The Ridgebacks looked for the equalizer down the stretch but were unable to strike again.
 
SMU outshot UOIT 21-15 that included holding UOIT to just two shots in the second period. Only three penalties were called with UOIT having two power play attempts and one for SMU.
 
The Ridgebacks return from out east this week and will look ahead to a home game against the Toronto Furies of the CWHL on Sunday, Oct. 2. The Furies recently picked two former Ridgebacks (Jaclyn Gibson and Victoria MacKenzie) in the CWHL entry draft. Game time at the Campus Ice Centre is 3:30 p.m.
 
QUICK LOOK AT THE RIDGEBACKS
Overall Record: 0-2-1
Conference Record: 0-0-0
 
Next Game: Sunday, Oct. 2 vs. Toronto Furies (3:30 p.m.)