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The Warriors let the tying goal in with 45 seconds remaining in the game and fell in the shootout as the York Lions downed Waterloo 4-3 on Sunday afternoon in Toronto.

Jennifer Petkovics (Mississauga, Ont.) scored the tying goal for the Lions and then tallied the shootout winner to give the Lions a crucial victory to keep their playoff hopes alive. 

With the loss the Warriors fell to 4-16-2 and are mathematically eliminated from the playoffs while York improved to 9-13-0 and sit in seventh place, six points behind Queen's, Toronto and Windsor for the final playoff spot.

The contest was close from start to finish as the goals went back and forth for both teams.

Neither team could get anything going on offence in the first period despite a couple of near goals for both squads.

The Lions put up 15 shots in the period and the Warriors managed 11, but both Lions goalie Sydney McMurter (Orillia, Ont.) and Waterloo netminder Martina Michaud (Etobicoke, Ont.) stood tall.

It was Waterloo that got the scoring going in the second period as a scramble in front of the net allowed Emma McMillan (Hastings, Ont.) to pocket the game's first goal. The Lions had managed to block three shots, but it was the fourth shot that cost the team the first goal of the game.

With less than five minutes remaining in the frame, Katrina Tollis (Hamilton, Ont.) took a shot at the net and Katie Ippolito (Richmond Hill, Ont.) picked up the rebound and fired it home to tie the game 1-1.

The Lions found themselves in trouble early in the third period with two quick penalties that gave the Warriors a five-on-three advantage. Waterloo made the most of its opportunity with a goal by Jessica Tracey (Woodslee, Ont.) for a 2-1 lead.  The goal was Tracey's team leading sixth of the season.

The Lions jumped back into the game again as Petkovics tipped in a cross-crease pass to tie it up at two apiece.

With a minute and a half remaining in regulation, Warriors defender Julia Endicott (Toronto, Ont.) made a great pass to Ona Mezenberg (Owen Sound, Ont.), springing her for a breakaway. Mezenberg took full advantage and went top-shelf for another Waterloo one-goal lead.

That lead was short-lived, however, as Petkovics tied it up 37 seconds later.

In the shootout, Petkovics scored by skating quickly down the ice and breaking right around Michaud for the goal. Chloe Milano (Maple, Ont.) fooled Michaud for the second time with the same move, which handed York the victory.