2019 Esso Cup

LADY WOLVES DEFEAT SLASH IN OVERTIME

QUINTON AMUNDSON

SUDBURY, Ont. – Madison Laberge came through in the clutch, scoring a power-play goal at 3:59 of overtime to deliver the Sudbury Lady Wolves a 3-2 win over the St. Albert Slash on Monday night at the 2019 Esso Cup.

The rearguard provided the hosts with their second victory in as many days by unleashing a blistering slap shot from the point past a screened Brianna Sank.

Lady Wolves goaltender Mireille Kingsley also took center stage in the battle by turning aside 22 of 24 shots. Sank was strong in defeat as she stopped 30 of 33.

Abbey Patterson of the Lady Wolves and Isabelle Lajoie of the Slash scored goals late in the third period to set up overtime after Sudbury’s Alexe Clavelle and St. Albert’s Dayle Ross struck in the first period.

Ross drew first blood for the Slash at 7:06 with a laser-precise wrist shot to the top shelf behind Kingsley.

Clavelle responded at 15:26 on a Sudbury power play by finishing off a three-way passing play with Taylor Scott and Mylène Lefebvre.

The teams frustrated each other with active sticks and tight positioning in period two. When the rare opportunity materialized, both Kingsley and Sank were there to snuff the chance out.

Patterson finally broke through for the go-ahead goal on a Sudbury power play at 16:11 by sneaking off the point and lifting the puck over a sprawled Sank, but Lajoie manufactured the game-tying goal with 41 seconds left by beating Kinglsey in tight after receiving a pass from Willan.

Special teams were a difference maker; Sudbury went 3-for-10 on the power play, while St. Albert was 0-for-5.

Tuesday is rematch day for both Sudbury and St. Albert. The Lady Wolves will match up against their OWHA rivals, the Stoney Creek Sabres (7 p.m. ET). Earlier in the day St. Albert will battle the team it beat for gold at the 2018 Esso Cup, the Saskatoon Stars (3:30 p.m. ET).