The Queens suffer a heartbreaking shootout loss in Olds
Olds, March 2, 2023 – The Red Deer Polytechnic Queens suffer a heartbreaking shootout loss to the Olds College Broncos which put their chance of finishing first in jeopardy.
The Polytechnic found themselves two points out of first place coming into tonight's game.
Within the first minute of the game, the Queens would open the game up with a goal from defense Jordyn McLaughlin (Bachelor of Kinesiology) as she crashed the net and fired one past the Broncos goaltender on the Queens first shot of the game. Defence Kyla Hansel (Pharmacy Technician Diploma) and rookie Sarah Raymond (Bachelor of Education) picked up the assist on the opening goal.
After going goalless last Saturday to end her streak, forward Madison Sansom (Social Work) would score her eighth goal on the season. This would be her 13th point in 12 games. She also had her 10-game point streak snap in the team's loss against the NAIT Ooks last weekend. Forward (Bachelor of Education) picked up the lone assist on Sansom's goal.
At the end of the period, the Queens quadrupled the Broncos in shots with a total of 16.
After the puck took a weird bounce off a shot from outside the blue line, goaltender Tanya Disotell-Dunsmore (Bachelor of Science) was forced to make a desperation save but moments later, the Broncos would cut the Queens lead in half with a point-blank goal in front of the net.
With under two to go, Olds would strike again to tie it up at two after a blast from the point found the back of the net.
At the end of the second, the Queens still led in shots with 30 but the Broncos were the better team in the period as they capitalized on the chances they got to tie the game up.
The Polytechnic had a chance to regain their lead early in the third period but a big glove save by Broncos goaltender Lacey Friesen (Open Sutdies) on the goal line kept it a tied game.
This game would need overtime where the Queens would control the majority of the first five-minute frame and even rang the puck off the goalpost but could not capitalize. They went down to 3-on-3 for the next period of overtime which saw the Broncos get robbed on a wrap-around attempt by Disotell-Dunsmore. But 3-on-3 did not solve anything either which meant a shootout.
The first shooter for the Queens would be forward Natalie Buttle who would find the back of the net with her backhand (Bachelor of Kinesiology). The next two shooters would miss for the Polytechnic and the Broncos took advantage of that as they scores on their first and second attempts to win 3-2.
Queens player of the game went to forward Madison Sansom who had a goal in tonight's loss.
These two teams will be back at it tomorrow night at 7 pm in Red Deer. Tomorrow, the Queens will recognize their graduating athletes.