With a pair of teams who have accounted for four of the past five SDSSAA Division I Girls Hockey championship banners opening regular season play at the Gerry McCrory Countryside Sports Complex last week, a deadlock certainly appeared to be a justified result.
But with the contest tied at 1-1 and just 30 seconds to play, Lo-Ellen Park Knights' defenseman Jo-Jo Ajueze blasted a shot past St Charles College Cardinals' netminder Keanna Navarro, lifting her team to victory in a game in which they were outshot 32-19.
League champions in 2024 following a two games to one triumph in the city finals opposite the Horizon Aigles, Lo-Ellen is looking at a Division I bracket of just four teams in 2025-2026, all of whom seem capable of beating one another on any given night.
"St Charles looked really good out there," noted winning netminder Leila Barsanti. "They're very strong and they know their systems - and there were a lot of shots from the point."
Though the Cards would pepper the grade 12 standout with nearly one shot for every minute of play, a second period strike from Karlie Shea was the only puck to elude Barsanti - and that coming after Emma Mourre opened the scoring for Lo-Ellen.
With three previous years of experience both with the Knights as well as her respective Sudbury Lady Wolves teams, the 17 year-old acknowledged to feeling much differently now than she did back in 2022.
"When I was in grade nine, I was outgoing but a little but more shy in net, a little less vocal," said Barsanti. "Now, I can communicate with my players a little bit better, let them know if there is a player on them, things like that."
And from a team perspective, success in 2024 is something that a strong core of veterans would dearly love to build upon.
"We had expectations last year and made OFSAA - and now it feels like there is so much more," said Barsanti. "It feels like there is more at stake. It feels like we need to push even harder."
That said, one must maintain a healthy perspective.
"There are also times when it feels a little lighter because I am in grade 12 and it's super fun," she added. "It's nice to bring the grade nines in too. I want us to bond together because if we don't have that, we can't be the best that we can be."
Division I girls hockey battles this week finds St Charles facing the Collège Notre-Dame Alouettes Tuesday afternoon at Carmichael, followed by CND vs Horizon Wednesday in Val Caron and closing off with the Aigles and the Knights Thursday afternoon at Countryside.
