The women’s hockey team missed an opportunity to move into second place in the OUA last weekend.

After winning their first game of the new year 5-2 over the Carleton Ravens on Jan. 3, the Gaels lost back-to-back games against the 10th-place University of Ontario Institute of Technology Ridgebacks and the seventh-place Brock Badgers, both by a score of 3-2.

On Friday against the Ridgebacks, the Gaels generated 31 shots but never held the lead. After a scoreless first period, the Ridgebacks scored twice before Gaels centre Shawna Griffin notched her sixth goal of the season to pull her team within one.

The Ridgebacks scored seven minutes into the third period to put themselves up 3-1. Although centre Morgan McHaffie would score her 14th goal of the season with 6:06 remaining, the Ridgebacks held on for the 3-2 win. Goaltender Mel Dodd-Moher made 24 saves in the loss.

On Saturday against the Badgers, the Gaels scored first with back-to-back goals from winger Taryn Pilon, her second coming on the power play.

But the Gaels’ power-play prowess was outshone by their inability to kill penalties. The Badgers scored two power-play goals of their own in the second period to erase the Gaels’ 2-0 lead and scored the game-winning goal with only 3:26 remaining in the third period. Goaltender Karissa Savage made 28 saves in the losing effort.

Coach Matthew Holmberg said he was disappointed that his team still looked rusty on the weekend.

“There was a lot of sloppy play [against Carleton on Jan. 3], but that was understandable given that it was our first game in over a month,” he said. “I would have thought we would have been certainly ready for the games this weekend.”

Holmberg wouldn’t say which goaltender he’ll use this weekend. Dodd-Moher has started 10 games, while Savage has started seven. But Dodd-Moher has a 3.05 goals against average and 0.898 save percentage compared to Savage’s 1.89 goals against average and 0.925 save percentage.