TORONTO, ON – We are officially under a month away from the OUA McCaw Cup Playoffs. The gaps in the playoff races are closing. However, the distance between the first and second-placed teams is widening at the very top of the standings. The margin for error is slim at this point in the year as teams don’t want to be out of contention with a few more weeks until the regular season’s end.
Here’s what we learned about OUA women’s hockey this past week.
Strong goaltending is helping Laurier stay in games
As discussed last week, a tight playoff race is brewing out West. But Laurier, who sits third in the division, has seemingly escaped it for good. Six goals in an absolute barn-burner against Nipissing isn’t a good look on paper for third-year netminder Acadia Carlson, but she still turned aside 27 shots and did well to keep her club in the contest.
Of course, that performance wasn’t far removed from a shutout featuring 35 saves versus Windsor. Carlson is now the owner of a .930 save percentage and is allowing only 2.15 goals per game.
She’s not the only one who’s been impressing in the crease lately for Laurier.
Kayla Renaud, who appears the frontrunner for the starting role next season and beyond for the Golden Hawks, has posted a .932 save percentage across six games. Recently, she backstopped Laurier to a tight 1-0 win over the Brock Badgers, stopping all 22 shots. Laurier has a strong blueline, but if they can close down the entry zone just a little more, it could make all the difference.
Laurier being in a position where they can confidently roll with a 1A/1B goaltender system will undoubtedly be an X-factor in the Playoffs. Opponents will have to guess on any night whether they’re facing Carlson or Renaud. Whoever it is, a tough challenge comes forth.
Hannah Tait and Guelph continue to storm their way through the season
The 2023-24 Guelph Gryphons seems like a group that can reach the summit. Standing alone on top of the OUA West, Guelph finally hit ten straight wins after a pair of dubs against Western. Yet somehow, they are still on the outside looking in when it comes to U SPORTS national rankings. Either way, the Gryphons continue to roll. Laurier was the last team to beat them back on Nov. 17. Their final tilt on Wednesday night is quite intriguing.
Across the two games versus the Mustangs, leading scorer Hannah Tait picked up two assists and a goal. A gold medallist for Canada at last year’s Lake Placid 2023 FISU Games, she’s already scored more points than the previous season in seven fewer outings. Given former head coach Rachel Flanagan is now with PWHL Toronto, pro teams should keep an eye on Tait’s status; leading Guelph in a dominant season is no easy task.
That’s partly due to the number of scorers on the roster: Tori Verbeek and Jaime Magoffin, both centres, have 19 and 17 points, respectively. A feared one-two punch, Guelph might be winning most games by only one or two goals, but if all three of the players mentioned here can produce on the same night, well, Guelph would be pretty comfortable.