OSHAWA, Ont. – Alex Frigon (Dartmouth, N.S.) scored a hat-trick and Celine Tessier (Chapleau, Ont.) posted a shutout, as the Ontario Tech University women's hockey team blanked the Queen's Gaels 4-0.
 
The game concluded the 2019-20 first semester schedule for the Ridgebacks, who will head into the break on a high.
 
"It's always nice to win a game," said head coach Justin Caruana. "When you're going on that break it's nice to have that feeling, so that's kind of the last taste in your mouth when you're off for a bit."
 
The home team jumped out to an early lead, scoring just 31 seconds into the action. From there the Ridgebacks demonstrated solid defense not allowing the visitors any opportunities in the middle of the ice. After a solid showing on the penalty kill to preserve the shutout, Frigon sealed the victory and her hat-trick, with the empty net tally at 19:15 of the third.
 
This is the fifth time in the program that a player has scored a hat-trick, with Frigon becoming the fourth player to obtain the feat. She is also the first since Kassidy Nauboris recorded a hat-trick on Jan. 8, 2017 against the Laurentian Voyageurs.
 
"Feels good," Frigon said on both the accomplishment and the win. "Going into the second half, I think it's going to push our girls to really fight hard."
 
Ontario Tech returns to action early in the new year when they host the Nipissing Lakers on January 3 at the Campus Ice Centre.
 

LIGHT THE LAMP

• Frigon opened the scoring after cleaning up the rebound off an Erin Ross (Lucan, Ont.) shot. Her second came after receiving the cross-crease pass for a tap in, after Mia Rogers' (Keswick, Ont.) forecheck at 9:14 of the second.

WHKY | 🚨Ridgebacks Goal🚨 Alex Frigon buries the rebound from an Erin Ross shot and the Ridgebacks take the early lead!@ontariotech_u - 1@queensgaels - 0 pic.twitter.com/q1y7ZJuvv7

— Ontario Tech Ridgebacks (@OT_Ridgebacks) November 30, 2019

• Frigon's hat-trick goal was a great effort to win the neutral zone battle and skate the puck to the empty net.
• Natalie Wozney (Whitby, Ont.) took advantage of the extra ice on a 4-on-4 and beat the goalie short side after coming out of the corner.
 

BETWEEN THE PIPES

• Tessier stopped all 25 shots for her third career shutout.
• Makenzy Arsenault allowed three goal on 21 shots.
 

RIDGEBACKS AT A GLANCE

Overall Record: 3-14-0
Conference Record: 2-11-0
 
Next Game: Friday, Jan. 3 vs. Nipissing Lakers (7:30 p.m. – Campus Ice Centre)