Queens win Game 1, head to Lakeland tomorrow looking for the series sweep

Red Deer, March 10, 2023 – Hockey playoffs are finally here in Red Deer with the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens kicking things off with the first semi-final game of a three-game series with the Lakeland College Rustlers.

Forward Natalie Buttle (Bachelor of Kinesiology) would open the scoring in this semi-final game on the powerplay. Buttle was able to walk in from the blue line and snipe a wrist shot over the Rustlers goaltender to take the early lead.

But seconds later off the faceoff, Lakeland would tie it up. Forward Mykayla Pylypow (Social Work) would skate into the Queens zone and fire a wrist shot over the glove of goaltender Izzy Palumbo (Bachelor of Commerce) to tie it up at one.

This would do it for the first period scoring with the Rustlers leading 11-8 in shots.

The Queens would regain their one-goal lead four minutes into the second period with the third wrist-shot goal of the game. Forward Madison Sansom (Social Work) skated with the puck from the centre circle, walked into the Rustlers zone and fired a shot over the glove of goaltender Chantel Weller (Bachelor of Science).

At the end of the second period, the Queens would take a one-goal lead into the final period of this first playoff game between these two teams. However, the Rustlers still were outshooting the Polytechnic 16-10.

Five minutes into the third, the Rustlers came so close to tying it but it would ring off the crossbar and bounce back into play. Palumbo was able to lay on the ice to cover up the puck and keep it from going into the net.

Down by one, the Rustlers were awarded a powerplay with under five minutes to play but the Queens with their airtight defense were able to kill it off.

With 32 seconds left, Lakeland College called a timeout to try and set something up on the offense to tie it up. Seconds later, they would get a two-man advantage with their goalie pulled as the Queens would get called on another penalty. But that was not enough as the Queens would take the first game 2-1 with Palumbo stopping 23 shots.

They will head out to Lakeland in Lloydminster tomorrow evening to look for the series win. The puck drops at 7 pm.

The players of the game went to Rustlers Mykayla Pylypow who had the lone goal for her team and Queens Alli Soyko (Bachelor of Education) who picked up two assists in the win.