NAIT completes weekend sweep of Broncos

The NAIT Ooks took control in the second period and didn't look back, defeating the Olds College Broncos 3-1 at the Town of Olds Sportsplex on Saturday, completing a sweep of the weekend home-and-home between the two teams.

Josie Nichols scored twice for the Ooks (16-4-1), while Payton Basterash also scored. Hannah Prinsen added two assists, while Kaitlyn Slator made 18 saves in goal for the win.

For the Broncos (4-14-1), Sydney Jack scored, while Cienna Kinghorn turned in a valiant performance in net with 45 saves.

Jack opened the scoring five minutes into the game, breaking through multiple defenders in the neutral zone and going over Slator's glove shoulder to put the Broncos up 1-0. However, the Ooks would respond with just over five minutes remaining in the first, as Nichols kept the Broncos from clearing the zone. The puck eventually cycled back to Nichols, whose one-time shot from the top of the zone found its way past Kinghorn to tie the game at 1-1 through the opening 20 minutes.

Nichols would double up midway through the second, as she took a cross-ice pass from Abby Robar and beat Kinghorn to the blocker side to put the Ooks up 2-1, with Basterash rounding out the scoring 1:32 later, coming out from around the net and beating Kinghorn with a perfectly-placed wrist shot.

The Ooks now have a two-week break in their regular season schedule before visiting the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens on February 16, while the Broncos will host the Queens on Thursday, February 1 at 7 p.m. Both matchups will be available on ACACTV.ca, as well as on TELUS OptikTV channel 1998.

Players of the Game
NAIT | Josie Nichols
OLDS | Anna Poole