The Rustlers make it two in a row against the Queens
Red Deer, October 14, 2023 - The Lakeland College Rustlers won back-to-back games against the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens with a close 2-1 victory on Saturday night.
The Rustlers would open the scoring on a powerplay 12 minutes into the opening frame of the period. The goal from forward Hailey Carothers (University Transfer) came only 32 seconds into the Queens penalty. Carothers managed to walk in from the blue line and fired a wrist shot past goaltender Tora Ward (Open Studies) who is playing in just her second ACAC regular season game. But it was her first goal against as she managed to shut out the Olds College Broncos last week Friday as she steered aside all 24 shots she faced.
After picking up an assist on the Carothers goal, defence Olivia Mann (University Transfer) jumped on a loose puck in the slot and fired it home to give the Rustlers an early 2-0 lead. A Rustlers forecheck led to the Queens coughing up the puck behind the net which is when forward Kylie Perry (Business Administration) tossed it in front of the net and it found the stick of Mann.
The Rustlers outshot the Queens 10-6 after the first period.
Her team down by two, Ward came up clutch for the Queens as she stood tall in her net and stopped a Rustlers breakaway opportunity in the early stages of the second.
The Queens were given a prime opportunity to come within one goal of Lakeland but could not solve goaltender Mackenzie Dojahn (University Transfer) on a four-minute powerplay.
Carothers had back-to-back prime scoring opportunities but on the first Ward got a piece of it and the second went off the crossbar. Both of these chances were from the point-blank range.
Lakeland continued to outshoot the Queens 18-13.
In the first three minutes of the third period, in a soccer-like save, Dojahn robbed the Queens of their first goal of the game as she dove across the net to make her 14th save of the game.
The Queens would finally score and cut the Rustlers lead in half with a goal from first-year student-athlete Rylee Mepham (Bachelor of Education) on the powerplay which is her first goal in the ACAC.
But that is the closest the Queens would come as they would fall in back-to-back games against the Rustlers with the final score of 2-1.
The players of the game were awarded to Rustlers defence Olivia Mann and Queens forward Rylee Mepham. Mann finished with a goal and an assist with Mepham scoring the lone goal for her team.
The Queens will be back in action next weekend as they have a home-and-home series with the SAIT Trojans that starts in Red Deer at 7 pm with the following game at 1:45 pm on Saturday in Calgary.
As for the Rustlers, they will host the Olds College Broncos next weekend with a 7 pm puck drop on Friday and a 2 pm start on Saturday. Both games will be in Lloydminster.