TORONTO – The UOIT women's hockey team dropped their fifth straight game losing 5-1 to the Toronto Varsity Blues Friday night at Varsity Arena.
 
It was a chippy affair as the teams combined for 18 minor penalties. UOIT ended up serving two minutes or less 11 times while Toronto had seven.
 
With the steady stream of players to the penalty box, all five Toronto goals came on special teams as the Varsity Blues scored four power play goals and one shorthanded. UOIT on the other hand failed to score on all seven of their power play attempts.
 

Nice feed from @kassford to @mikaeli.cavell16 tonight

A video posted by UOIT Ridgebacks (@uoitridgebacks) on Jan 27, 2017 at 6:30pm PST

UOIT's lone goal came 46 seconds into the third period while trailing 4-0. Kassidy Ford (Gananoque, Ont.) sprung Mikaeli Cavell (Edmonton, Alta.) loose with a stretch pass. The Ridgeback captain fired the puck through Valencia Yordanov's five-hole for her fourth goal of the season. Teresa Horner (Hamilton, Ont.) picked up the second assist on the play.
 
Cavell's goal marks the 50th point in her career as she becomes the sixth Ridgeback to reach the milestone. Sam Forchielli (Hamilton, Ont.) is the only other current Ridgeback with more than 50 career points as she has 56. Cavell has put up a career-high 18 points this season and has recorded 15 of them in her last 12 games.
 
Toronto was led by Pickering native Kristi Riseley who had two goals and an assist. Taylor Day chipped in with a goal and an assist while Julia Szulewska and Rebecca Bourgeois had two assists apiece.
 
Cassie Charette (Ottawa, Ont.) allowed four goals on 15 shots against before leaving the game with an injury late in the second period. Briar Hughes (Thornton, Ont.) stopped 11 of 12 Toronto shots in relief.
 
UOIT will have to put a win-streak together in their final five games of the regular season if they hope to make a push for the playoffs. The Ridgebacks sit in ninth place with 23 points, trailing Laurentian, Western and Waterloo by six points.
 
The Ridgebacks next action is on Friday, Feb. 3 at home against the Brock Badgers with puck drop set for 7:30 p.m. Former Ridgeback captain Jill Morillo will be honoured prior to the game.
 
QUICK LOOK AT THE RIDGEBACKS
Overall Record: 8-10-6
Conference Record: 7-7-5
 
Next game: Friday, Feb. 3 vs. Brock (7:30 PM – Campus Ice Centre)