The Brock Badgers women’s hockey team is looking to build on its early season progress after opening its OUA schedule with a win and loss on the road.
The Badgers returned to Canada Games Park on Friday, Oct. 23, to host the Nipissing Lakers in their regular season home opener. After earning a 3-2 win over Carleton before falling 6-3 to Ottawa, Brock entered Friday’s matchup looking to get back in the win column and establish some momentum in front of its home crowd.
Brock started off strong in their home opener, opening the scoring with a breakaway goal from forward Ellie French but Nipissing responded with a goal of their own. Avery Diljee got Brock the lead late in the frame, sending the badgers into the intermission up 2-1. Nipissing tied the game again in the second period before scoring its first shot in overtime to secure the 3-2 win.
Brock began its regular season on Oct.16 with a comeback victory over Carleton. After falling behind twice, the Badgers responded each time and came away with a 3-2 win. The result gave the team an encouraging start, showing its ability to stay in the game when facing an early deficit.
The following afternoon, Brock faced a much different challenge against Ottawa. The Gee-Gees scored three times in the opening period and added two earlier in the second to take a 5-0 lead. The Badgers responded with three second-period goals of their own, cutting into the deficit and giving themselves a chance to get back into the game. Ottawa added an empty-net goal in the third period to secure a 6-3 win.
First-year forward Rachel Burt recorded three points in the game, while Grace Campbell scored twice. Campbell finished the weekend with three goals after scoring against Carleton, giving Brock some early offensive production to build on.
The opening weekend showed that the Badgers have the ability to generate offence and respond when games become difficult. The loss to Ottawa also highlighted the importance of getting off to a stronger start. Falling behind five goals made it difficult for Brock to complete its comeback, despite the team’s improved play in the second period.
Brock closed its opening home weekend with a 5-1 loss to the Queen’s Gaels on Oct. 24. Irelynn Duffy scored her first goal of the season to tie the game at 1-1, giving the Badgers an early response. Queen’s regained the lead late in the first period before adding three power-play goals over the remainder of the game to secure the win. The result left Brock searching for answers after dropping both games of its home-opening weekend.
After dropping both home games, Brock will need to focus on defensive consistency and limiting its opponents’ scoring opportunities as the season continues. The loss to Queen’s highlighted the importance of staying disciplined, particularly on the penalty kill, as the Gaels scored three times on the power-play. The Badgers have shown they can generate offence at times. Moving forward, they will need to build on their offence while finding ways to protect leads, respond to setbacks and maintain their level of play throughout all three periods.
Brock’s next game is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30, when the Badgers host the Guelph Gryphons at Canada Games Park. Puck drop is set for 6 p.m., giving Brock another opportunity to continue to develop its game and build momentum as the season progresses.
For future updates and more information on the team, check out the team’s Instagram page at @brockwhockey or the Brock University Athletics website.