NORTH BAY, Ont. – The UOIT Ridgebacks women's hockey team opened up OUA conference play in 2018 with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Nipissing Lakers Saturday afternoon in North Bay.
 
Making her return to Northern Ontario, UOIT goaltender Celine Tessier (Chapleau, Ont.) had an amazing 33 save performance. In her first year with the Ridgebacks, Tessier has posted a .948 save percentage that ranks third in the OUA.
 
After Nipissing jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals from Brianna Gaffney and Bronwyn Bolduc in the second period, the Ridgebacks quickly responded with two of their own 18 seconds apart.
 


Freshman Megan Johnston (Goderich, Ont.) got her first goal in six games as she buried a feed from Kassidy Nauboris (Brampton, Ont.) with five minutes to go in the period. Nauboris leads UOIT with 12 points as she now has a career high with eight assists this season.
 
Following the faceoff, the Ridgebacks stormed back down the ice where Alex Frigon (Bedford, N.S.) jammed home a loose puck in the crease, marking her first goal of the season.
 
UOIT had a number of chances to break the tie in the third period including captain Mikaeli Cavell (Edmonton, Alta.) ringing one off the post, but no attempts would go by Nipissing goaltender Danika Ranger who stopped 21 shots in the win.
 
In the shootout, Chelsea Ball (Maple, Ont.) would score the Ridgebacks lone goal, while Jade Gauthier and Maria Dominico converted for Nipissing.
 
UOIT will head west to take on the Laurentian Voyageurs on Sunday, who knocked off the first place Queen's Gaels 5-2. Laurentian (5-5-3) sits in ninth place, two points ahead of UOIT (5-6-2). Game time is at 1:50 p.m.
 
QUICK LOOK AT THE RIDGEBACKS
Overall Record: 5-13-2
Conference Record: 5-6-2
 
Next Game: Jan. 7 @ Laurentian (1:50 PM – Sudbury, Ont.)