Robin Kasem

Hockey (W) 2/23/2016 11:13:00 AM Posted by: Peter Reimer (Sports Information Assistant)

Gaels Playoff Preview - Women's hockey has home ice advantage over Nipissing

Hockey (W) 2/23/2016 11:13:00 AM Posted by: Peter Reimer (Sports Information Assistant)

Gaels Playoff Preview - Women's hockey has home ice advantage over Nipissing

The Gaels women's hockey team plays Nipissing in the first round of the OUA playoffs, hosting game two at the Memorial Centre on Friday at 7:30pm and game three on Saturday at 7:30pm if necessary.

To purchase tickets to games 2 and 3 click here. Both games 2 and 3 will be streamed live on OUA.tv

PLAYOFF PREVIEW
WOMEN'S HOCKEY

RECORD: 13-2-7-2	Last time out: W 5-1 @ Brock	STREAK: Won 2
WHO'S HOT?: Clare McKellar - Had four points vs. Brock to end the regular season

The fourth-seed Gaels women's hockey team (13-2-7-2) start their quest for OUA supremacy with a best of three first-round matchup against the fifth-seed Nipissing Lakers (12-1-5-6) this afternoon at 1pm on the road. Game two goes Friday at the Memorial Centre with a 7:30pm start time. If the teams need a third game to decide the series it will be Saturday at 7:30pm and will also be at the Memorial Centre, since the Gaels have home ice advantage.

With regulation wins in their last two games, Queen's squeaked their way into the top half of the playoff bracket, earning 45 points on the year compared to Nipissing's 44 points. The Gaels knew they needed all six points from their last weekend of play, as the Lakers had finished their regular season on Valentine's Day.

Queen's picked up important wins on the road last weekend, 4-1 against Laurier and 5-1 over Brock. Mary Coughlin (Amherstburg, Ont.) had three assists versus Laurier, getting helpers on Katrina Manoukarakis (Scarburough, Ont.) league-leading ninth powerplay marker and a pair of goals from Courtenay Jacklin (Regina). Four Gaels had multi-point nights against Brock, highlighted by three assists from Emily Jukosky (Stirling, Ont.) and four points on two goals and two assists for Clare McKellar (London, Ont.). With 25 points during the regular season, Manoukarakis led Queen's in scoring and was second in OUA goals with 15, a league-best nine of which came on the powerplay. The Gaels starting goalie Caitlyn Lahonen (Saskatoon, Sask.) played in all but the final game of the season for Queen's, finishing her fifth year with an OUA best 601 stops to go with a .949 save percentage, which was second in the OUA. In 2014-15 Laurier sent the Gaels packing in a first-round sweep.

Nipissing has had a week and half off to prepare for their playoff run, after losing 5-4 in overtime to No.1 Guelph back on February 14. After going down 3-0 early in the second, the Lakers stormed back to go ahead 4-3, but a Guelph goal with 19 seconds sent the game to overtime where Nipissing lost. Four different Lakers got on the board in the loss, led by Natalie Graham's two point performance of a goal and an assist. Kaley Tienhaara scored the go-ahead goal for Nipissing, and leads all Lakers with 14 points on six goals and eight assists. Nipissing was also ousted in the first round of playoffs in 2014-15, losing in two games to Western.

OUA Women's Hockey Playoffs

CURRENT MATCHUP

SERIES AT A GLANCE

(4) Queen's Gaels (13-2-7-2, 45 pts)
Home record: 7-2-4-0

Away record: 7-0-3-2

Regular Season

Oct 24/15	OTW 3-2 @ QUE
Feb 5/16	L 3-2 @ NIP

Playoff Schedule (Best of 3)

Feb 24/16	QUE @ NIP 1pm
Feb 26/16	NIP @ QUE 7:30pm^OUA.tv

Feb 27/16

NIP @ QUE 7:30pm^OUA.tv

(5) Nipissing Lakers (12-1-5-6, 44 pts)
Home record: 7-0-2-3

Away record: 5-1-3-3

Gael to watch

Katrina Manoukarakis | #27 | F | Queen's
The Gaels rookie was their leading scorer during the regular season putting up 25 points in 24 games, good for fourth in the OUA. Her 15 goals were second best in the OUA this year, and her nine powerplay goals were tops on the OUA. Manoukarakis was also the only player to net a pair of hat tricks. Against Nipissing during the regular season, she scored three goals, all on the powerplay.

Between the pipes

Caitlyn Lahonen | #33 | G
Queen's


STAT	OUA OVERALL
Games played	23	1st
Games started	22	1st
Minutes	1355:05	1st
Goals against	32	10th
GAA	1.42	2nd
Saves	601	1st
Save pct	.949	2nd
Wins	14	2nd
Losses	8	5th
Win pct	.636	5th

Jacqueline Rochefort | #60 | G
Nipissing


STAT	OUA OVERALL
Games played	19	4th
Games started	18	4th
Minutes	1115:00	5th
Goals against	31	8th
GAA	1.67	7th
Saves	484	4th
Save pct	.940	6th
Wins	9	5th
Losses	9	3rd
Win pct	.500	8th