The Waterloo Warriors Women’s Hockey team made history last night when Paige Rynne’s shot hit the back of the net in overtime against the Toronto Varsity Blues, taking the McCaw Championship title for their first time.
The Varsity Blues opened the scoring in the first period, with Emma Elders assisting Juliette Blais-Savoie a short six minutes into the game. The Warriors responded with a stronger offense, and returned fire 14 minutes into the first period. Carly Orth scored for the Warriors, assisted by Rynne. The majority of the game was played tied at 1-1, with neither team scoring until the winning goal.
However, there was plenty of action on the ice – the second period saw five penalties, two against Waterloo and three against Toronto. Neither team was able to convert the one-woman advantage to take the lead. The third period was evidence of a less aggressive play style on both sides, where only Aili McKeown of the Varsity Blues infringed a minor penalty.
In overtime, it was clear that both sides intended to finish the game as swiftly as possible. The puck hovered over the ice, with both sides trading shots on target. It was a tough night for Mikayla Schnarr of the Warriors, who saved 25 of the 26 shots from the Varsity Blues. Erica Fryer of the Blues was troubled less through the game, with the Warriors making 18 shots on target, scoring 2.
Ultimately, Orth stole the puck in a wonderful display of handling and made a pass from the left to Rynne, who was four feet from the goal. Rynne shot powerfully, finding a clean connection between stick and puck, and the Warriors were elated. The team huddled up in celebration and will continue to USports Hockey for the national title.
