The women’s hockey team extended its losing streak to three games on Saturday, falling 2-1 to the York Lions in overtime.

Despite only allowing a single goal, goaltender Karissa Savage was pulled halfway through the second period and replaced by Mel Dodd-Moher.

Under three minutes into the overtime period, Lions captain Chloe Milano beat Dodd-Moher to clinch a York victory in Toronto.

Head coach Matthew Holmberg said he planned to switch goaltenders at the halfway mark because it was the Gaels’ only game of the weekend.

“The change wasn’t a result of anything bad [Savage] did,” he said. “We didn’t want to have [Dodd-Moher] go two weeks without getting some time in.” The loss was the Gaels’ third in four games but Holmberg said he’s encouraged by the improving play of his team.

Gaels rookie Danielle Girard scored the first goal of her OUA career in the first period to put the Gaels up 1-0. The score didn’t change until Lions assistant captain Andrea Joyce scored in the opening minute of the second period.

Both Morgan and Brittany McHaffie were out of the Gaels lineup on Saturday. Morgan had a personal commitment and Brittany was nursing a knee injury she sustained off-ice during the week.

The McHaffie sisters lead the Gaels in scoring. Morgan is first in OUA scoring with 31 points and Brittany is fifth with 22 points.

Morgan is expected to be back in the lineup next weekend, but Holmberg said he won’t rush Brittany into returning to the roster.

“We’ve got five weeks before playoffs, so we’ll take the time necessary to get her back,” he said. “The best way to describe her is ‘week to week.’” The team has an important upcoming schedule, hosting the Guelph Gryphons on Saturday and the Brock Badgers on Sunday. The second-place Gryphons are seven points ahead of the third-place Gaels in the OUA standings. The game against the seventh-place Badgers on Sunday will be a rematch of the Jan. 7 contest that saw the Gaels lose 3-2.

Both games this weekend will be held at the Memorial Centre — puck drop is at 3:30 p.m. against the Gryphons on Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. against the Badgers on Sunday.