LLOYDMINSTER -- A four-minute span in the second period proved to be the difference as the Saskatoon Stars took their first loss at the Esso Cup national female AAA hockey championship on Monday afternoon.
Facing the Quebec champion Etoiles de Laurentides-Lanaudière, the Stars gave up three goals early in the second frame and would go on to drop a 5-2 decision in round robin action in Lloydminster.
All three goals came off the stick of Maika Gauthier, as she opened scoring at 3:34 of the period, added her second marker on the power play at 5:13 and finished off her natural hat trick at the 7:39 mark.
Saskatoon was able to get back on track not long after, and two goals late in the period made it a one-goal game heading into the third.
Halle Duchene scored her first goal and team-leading fourth point of the tournament with 8:23 to play in the second, and Sadie Green added her second goal in as many games with 2:26 remaining to make it a 3-2 contest coming home.
The Stars had their chances to find the tying goal when the Etoiles took back to back penalties midway through the third, but Quebec would hold strong and find a couple of insurance markers late.
Ann-Laurence Dutil scored on the man advantage with 3:24 remaining in regulation to make it 4-2 and Miranda Dinelle capped scoring on the afternoon with 1:32 remaining.
Adriana Bashnick finished with 17 saves in goal for Saskatoon, Amelie Lebreux stopped 26 for Laurentides-Lanaudière.
Both teams are now 1-1 in the six-team tournament, with Saskatoon having taken 5-4 win over the Ontario champion North York Storm and Quebec having fallen to the Pacific champion Edmonton Junior Oilers 4-1 on Sunday.
The round robin continues for Saskatoon on Tuesday as they face the Edmonton Jr, Oilers at 3 p.m. followed by the host Lloydminster Steelers at 7 p.m. Wednesday and the Atlantic champion Eastern Stars at 3 p.m. Thursday.
The top four teams after the preliminary round advance to the semifinals on Friday, with the losers playing for bronze at 1 p.m. on Saturday, followed by the winners going for gold at 5 p.m.
You can follow along with all the scores at www.hockeycanada.ca.
