Matt Johnson, Huskie Athletics
SASKATOON – Leah Bohlken padded her lead atop the Canada West scoring race for defencemen, burying her eighth of the season in double overtime as the University of Saskatchewan women's hockey defeated the Lethbridge Pronghorns by a score of 1-0 on Jan. 18 at Merlis Belsher Place.
Bohlken continued to build on her tremendous season, as the fourth-year defenceman played hero and picked up her 13th point of the season in the process. Bailee Bourassa, whose hard work led to her feeding the puck to Bohlken, picked up an assist on the goal. Bourassa added her team-leading 15th point of the season, which is a single-season career high for the Weyburn, SK native.
Jessica Vance picked up her fifth shutout of the season as she made 23 saves in the contest, as she moved to 9-4-1-1.
Alicia Anderson did her best to keep the Pronghorns in the hockey game all night long, as the fourth-year goaltender stopped 56 of 57 shots she faced on the night.
After a scoreless first period, which saw Saskatchewan outshoot Lethbridge 13-8, the Huskies looked to continue to put on the pressure in the second frame.
Courtney Cormack had a terrific scoring chance midway through the second period, as the fourth-year forward unleashed a clapper from the circle but Anderson was equal to the task.
Saskatchewan again outshot the visitors in the second frame, however Anderson was able to keep the home team at bay.
With just under six minutes remaining in the third period, Shyan Elias drove hard to the cage but her effort on net was swallowed up by Anderson.
With the game scoreless through 60 minutes of regulation, the teams needed overtime for a victor to emerge.
The Huskies, who were coming off a shootout loss in Regina last Saturday night, needed the extra frame once again. This was also the second time this year that the Huskies and Pronghorns needed overtime to solve one of their games. On Oct. 19 Abby Shirley picked up the winner to give Saskatchewan the victory.
The Pronghorns had two tremendous scoring opportunities in the first overtime frame, but Vance was able to shut the door.
Despite the chances for Lethbridge, four-on-four solved nothing, and the teams moved on to three-on-three action.
At the 2:21 mark of the second overtime period, Bourassa stripped a Pronghorns defenceman, and fed it over to Bohlken who made no mistake as she roofed her wrister over the glove of Anderson to send her team home with the win.
Despite the lofty shot total, Lethbridge did well to hang around in the game and limit high quality opportunities on net, but in the end, their lack of offense proved to be a killer.
Lethbridge will remain in Saskatoon for another night, as the Pronghorns will take on the Huskies for the second time in as many nights in what will be Kids Take Over Night at Merlis Belsher Place.