Lammers two point effort leads Rustlers to a deciding third game.

With their season on the line, the Lakeland College Apex Automation Rustlers hosted the SAIT Trojans in game two of their best-of-three semi-final series on Saturday, March 2nd. The Trojans were looking to complete the sweep while the Rustlers wanted to extend things to game three on Sunday afternoon. The Rustlers would score one goal in each period to win 3-1 and send things to a deciding third game on Sunday afternoon. 

The first period was a much better period for the Rustlers than on Friday night. The Rustlers were skating more aggressively and pursuing the puck more on point. Pressure was applied constantly on Kaylin Schellenberg who was called upon to make several huge saves. The Rustlers had an early power play opportunity on a penalty call to Alex Baumback but were unsuccessful in scoring. The Trojans had two power plays, one at the midway point and one in the last three minutes. It was on this power play opportunity that the Rustlers would strike short-handed. Madelyn Mann would feed Claudia Lammers in the Trojans zone and after Schellenberg made the first stop, Lammers was able to cash in her rebound to give the Rustlers a 1-0 lead. That would be all the scoring for period one as the Rustlers would hold a 10-3 edge on the shot clock. 

The second period saw another aggressive push by the Rustlers to increase their lead. A penalty to Kaylee Hill for interference at the 9:03 mark of the period would aid the Trojans in tying the game at 1-1. Marlee Fong would convert a cross-crease pass from Pyper Alexander to tie the game at 1. A late Trojans penalty to Kaylan Easson proved costly to the Trojans as the Rustlers scored a late power-play goal of their own. Hailey Carothers would convert on a Schellenberg rebound after a point shot from Keyra Buziak to give the Rustlers a one-goal lead heading into the third period. A secondary assist would go to Claudia Lammers as the Rustlers scored with 0:27 left on the clock in period two. The second period was dominated by the Rustlers on the shot clock as they held a 25-6 advantage in the period. 

The third period saw a tight-checking affair with the Rustlers maintaining their one-goal lead. The penalty box saw some frequent visitors from both teams as the Trojans took three minor penalties while the Rustlers took four minor penalties. Neither team was able to cash in on their advantages. After a Keyra Buziak penalty was killed off, the Rustlers would use that momentum to cash in shortly after she exited the penalty box. Mykayla Pylypow would feed Ellie Baril at the point and her wrist shot beat a screened Kaylin Schellenberg to increase the Rustlers' lead to 3-1. The Rustlers would hold off on the Trojans' pressure and send things to a game three on Sunday afternoon. The Rustlers would outshoot the Trojans 9-7 and 44-16 overall in the third period. Game stars were Pyper Alexander for SAIT and Claudia Lammers for Lakeland.