The Nipissing Lakers and Waterloo Warriors battled through nearly five periods of hockey at Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens on Friday night. The Warriors’ women’s team secured both the game and the series with a 4-3 victory in the second overtime period.

The Nipissing Lakers women’s hockey team suffered a heartbreaking double-overtime defeat against the Waterloo Warriors on Friday night at Boart Longyear Memorial Gardens. With their 4-3 victory, the Warriors swept the OUA second-round playoff series 2-0 and advanced to the league finals.

Waterloo opened the scoring in the first period, but the Lakers responded with two consecutive goals. Ashley Taciuk redirected a point shot from Allison Hayhurst to tie the game. Later in the period, Tessa Kosec found the back of the net, giving Nipissing a 2-1 lead after one. The score remained unchanged until the third period when Waterloo netted a shorthanded goal just 30 seconds in, tying the game at 2-2.

With 12 minutes left, the Warriors took the lead at 3-2. However, Nipissing equalized in the final four minutes when Madison Desmarais buried the puck into an open net, making it 3-3. The Lakers dominated much of overtime and had the only power play in sudden death. But it wasn’t enough, as Emma Thornton stormed into Nipissing’s zone and fired the game-winning shot past Chantelle Sandquist, ending the Lakers’ season.

Nipissing outshot Waterloo 43-32, including a 16-7 advantage in the nearly two periods of overtime.