Wednesday Jan 7/15

With the Christmas break over, and all the festive celebrations in the rearview mirror, the Hawks were hungry to carry on their strong play that led them into the Christmas break. With four games scheduled this week, two against a red hot Capitals team and not that many league games remaining, there was a definite sense of urgency to get off to a strong start. That's exactly what the Hawks faithful saw in the first shift of the game. The starting line pressured the Caps deep in their own zone, for the whole shift, in what was in hope of things to come. That early momentum would not be sustained however as Central Plains would then take turns hemming the girls in their own zone. Even with some of this sustained pressure, the Caps couldn't muster any quality opportunities. The score would remain even at zero after the first, with the hometown Hawks holding a 8-2 shot advantage. In the second period the Hawks would keep pressing, but to no avail. Early in the period, Jenai fed Katie on a breakaway on a beautiful pass, but just as Katie shot it, the puck rolled up over her stick. There seemed to be a tighter emphasis on defense in the second, as both teams struggled for quality scoring chances. Perhaps the long layoff had something to do with the somewhat slower legs to start for both teams, but as the game wore on, the visitors were the ones who looked to pick up the pace. Almost halfway through the second frame, the Caps winger managed to keep possession of the puck in the Hawks zone, while her whole line changed. Swinging over from Corinne's left to right, the attacker managed to avoid any serious pressure and after getting a slight step on the defenseman guarding her, she sniped a shot over Corinne's left shoulder to give them the 1-0 advantage at 11:56. There would be no other scoring in the frame, and despite having again outshot Central Plains 11-6, it would be the visitors who would skate into the second intermission with the lead. After getting a chance to compose themselves, they came out ready to establish their home rink dominance. There were a few lines juggled, in the hope that a spark would ensue and someone would be able to find the back of the net. The play was much more intense in the final frame, as both teams seemed more desperate to carry the play. Midway through the period, Chelsea had an opportunity at the side of an open net, but somehow the puck managed to stay out. This would prove to be the story of the game however, as the girls just couldn't find that offense that seemed to come so easily in Hartney just a few weeks ago. With 4:30 on the clock, the Capitals would manage a second goal which came from the point, as it found it's way through a screened Corinne. Then, with one tick left on the clock, the Caps would ice the game with clearing attempt from their zone which found the back of the empty net. With the loss in regulation, Pembina Valley would slip into second place, tied with Central Plains, which still has two games in hand. The girls look to rebound and find that winning column again as they take on the Winnipeg Avros in Holland.

Congratulations to Kate Friesen, who made Team Manitoba's U18 team that will compete in the 2015 Canada Winter Games Feb 14-20 in Prince George, BC. Team Manitoba played a three game set Jan 2-4 against the U of M Bisons, featuring a couple of former Hawks, including Lauren Keen and Kayleigh Wiens. Kate contributed with stellar defense and scored a goal in the final match up. Way to go Kate, the Hawks are proud of you!

 

 

Friday Jan 9/15

Desperately looking to score some goals and generate some offense after being shut out against the Captials on Wednesday, the Hawks hosted the Winnipeg Avros at the Holland Ice Gardens, hoping to turn their fortunes around. The Hawks came out ready to play from the opening shift. They forced the Avros back on their heels and thanks to an early powerplay, they managed to get quite a bit of traffic in front of the net and quite a few shots on net. The Avros netminder wasn't fazed though, as she managed to keep the home team off the board despite the early pressure. There was very little action in the Hawks' own zone but somehow on a broken play in front of Taylor, Winnipeg managed to bang the puck into the back of the net. Stunned, the home crowd couldn't believe what they saw, as the play, so far, had totally been dicated by Hawks. Wanting to prove their resiliency, the girls kept pushing. Sage had a breakaway, but wasn't able to deke past the Avro's netminder. By the time the buzzer sounded to end the first period, the Hawks had outshot their opponent 15-9, but were down 1-0. Coming out to start the second period, the girls continued with the same intensity as the first, dominating the play, and winning battles to the puck. On the second shift of the period, Alyssa was called for a phantom trip on the Avro forward who just fell down, and the Avros got their only powerplay of the evening. With a screened shot from the point, just a minute into the powerplay, the Avros scored their second of the game. The Hawks continued to skate hard, throwing everything they had at the Avro's net, but they could not score. Brooklyn Major found herself on a breakaway at one point, but she wasn't able to bury the puck either. The shots were 11-11 in the second frame, but that wouldn't be an accurate reflection of the game so far, as the Hawks carried much of the play. Perhaps the sticks were being gripped too tightly, the play being forced a little, and the feeling of being snakebitten overtaking the game, but the girls could not find a way onto the scoreboard. There would be no scoring in the third frame, and a very dejected group of girls shook hands with their opponents and headed off the ice. Since the six goal outburst against the Westman Wild on Dec 23rd, the Hawks have combined for a grand total of zero goals in two games. Hopefully the girls have a good night's sleep and get rested up for a pivotal game in Portage, Saturday night at 6:15. With the season winding down, every game becomes important in the standings.

 

Saturday Jan 10/15

Travelling to Portage to take on the Central Plains Capitals for the second time in four days, the Hawks were very much looking to find the win column for the first time in 2015. Playing the hostile confines of the BDO Centre in Portage, where the Caps tend to play well, would be no easy task. The first period starting out strong for the visitors, however despite the strong play, that first goal would prove elusive, as neither team would find the back of the net. In the second period, the Hawks came out a little flat, and did what they could to muster some sort of offense, but it would be the home team that would score first, with a shot that beat Taylor at the hash marks at 8:59. At one point, Katie managed to fire a puck that would beat the Caps netminder, but the referee blew the play dead, on what he thought was a hand pass by the Hawks, negating the Hawks' chances to tie up the game. There would be no more scoring in the second frame. With the pressure of just not having scored in the last nine periods of regulation play, the Hawks came out stronger in the third than the second, but they seem to struggle picking up some passes and finding the open lanes. There was some back and forth action, but there would be no scoring until late in the period, when a scramble in front of the net ensued, and a shot managed to sneak past Taylor, giving the home team a 2-0 advantage with only 3:52 to play. In a sight all to familiar with the Hawks lately, the goalie was pulled for the extra attacker, and with eleven seconds left in the game, the Caps sealed it with another empty netter. With a home game Sunday afternoon against Yellowhead, hopefully the girls can find that chemistry that they had when they last faced the Chiefs squad in Shoal Lake, where the Hawks managed to put up seven goals on scoresheet.

 

Sunday Jan 11/15

Facing off against the Yellowhead Chiefs at the Swan Lake Recreation Complex, the Pembina Valley Hawks came to rink hoping to turn their fortunes around. Upon arriving at the rink, the mood was light and the coaches were doing their best to keep the girls loose and relaxed heading into the game. After a little team bonding game, the girls headed out to do their warm-ups and pre-game stretches. Even though there was a feeling that this team had been struggled, the general consensus was that when the girls would turn it around, they would be a force to be reckoned with. The team is too deep from the forwards, through the defense to the goalies for any prolonged lack of success. As the puck dropped there was a good feeling amongst many of the parents. Returning from injury was Brooklyn Platt, hoping to spark the offense. The Hawks, in turn, did not disappoint. They played hard right out of the gate, with crisp passing and excellent forechecking. There was a lot of see-saw action, with play at both ends of the ice, but at the 13:01 mark, it would be the home team Hawks getting on the board first, breaking that long goalless break. After Megan chipped the puck into the Chiefs zone, Lindsay picked it up while under a great deal of pressure from the Yellowhead defender, and she threw it across the middle, finding Chelsea streaking into the zone. Chelsea took the pass on her forehand and ripped a shot high off the near post and into the back of the net. This drew a collective sigh from the partisan crowd, thankful that someone had finally scored, not to mention a great goal to boot. After this goal, the Hawks ran into a little bit of penatly trouble, making three trips into the box before the period would end. The shots after one favoured the Chiefs 11-10, but that would belie the story of the first, in which much of the play was carried by the girls. The second period started with a Hawks penalty kill, after a late first period call. Less than a minute into the penalty, the Hawks were called for another, putting them two men down for 53 seconds. After a determined effort, the penalties were killed off without incident, and the offense could get back to work. On a partial breakaway from the left side of the ice, Katie shot low on the far side, which Emma Greenwood stopped with her pad, but a hard skating Chelsea was following up on the right and she was right there to bury her second of the game at 13:02. Then, at 10:36, the Hawks would strike again, this time it was Mackenzie from the point. After some good work down low by Alyssa and Katie, Katie managed to scoop it ahead to Brooklyn Major. Brooklyn passed it back to the point, where Mac unloaded a shot that found it's way through traffic, and into the back of the net. (Not long after the third goal, coach Larry got clipped by a stray puck in the forehead, but a quick trip to Dr Maureen Hutchinson's walk in clinic got him fixed up.) Not satisfied with a three goal lead, the girls continued their strong play. 14 seconds into their only powerplay of the period, Kate notched her first of the game as she walked in from the point and fired a laser beam at the net, beating Emma for a fourth time. Drawing the assists on the play was the newly returning Brooklyn Platt, and Chelsea, who picked up her third point of the contest. Then, with just over four minutes to play, Kate Friesen would notch her second of the game, after a nice pass from Sage. Going into the second intermission, the Hawks carried a 5-0 lead, with shots even at 20 after two. Even with a five goal lead, the girls would not let up, wanting to finish strong and send a clear message that they were a force to be reckoned with. Yellowhead would not want to be shut out, so we all knew they would be working hard to break that goose egg. Taylor had played solid all game, keeping rebounds to a minimum, and playing great positionally. You could sense that the girls wanted to preserve the shutout, as they played a very responsibly team defensive game. With the play down in the Chiefs' zone, Lindsay battled hard along the right side boards, protecting the puck well. She saw an opening and so she chipped it back to Mac on the right side point. Mackenzie rocketed a slapshot into the scrum in front of the net. As the puck dropped down on the left side of the net, Ginny was in perfect position to bang it home, behind a very frustrated Greenwood. Managing to kill off a late hooking penalty with 2:34 left, the girls made sure they cleared the zone every chance they got, and when the shots were fired on net, Taylor was there to snuff out any chance of a scoring opportunity. As the horn sounded to end the game, the hollering from the Pembina Valley bench nearly drowned it out. The Hawks' offense came out of its shell in a big way, putting up six big goals on Yellowhead, and restoring some of that lost confidence. Taylor played extremely well in the win, with a well deserved shutout. Overall, a terrific team win, and major confidence booster.

 

Shaftesbury Titans Tournament - Jan 16-18/15

Game 1 of the tournament featured the Pembina Valley Hawks squaring off against the Program of Excellence Red Team, from British Columbia at the MTS Iceplex. Coming off a strong performance against Yellowhead, the confidence was high, and the girls were looking forward to building on that foundation. To start the game, the girls played a little tentative, but well, playing a good, solid defensive performance. There was no scoring in the first, and the girls were outshot by an 12-8 margin, but they played well enough to keep the POE team at bay. In the second frame, the girls came out a little stronger and smarter, staying out of the penalty box, except for one call against them, but much better than the three that they were called against them in the first. Unfortunately, the POE team was able to convert their one opportunity when a deflected shot was stopped initially by Corinne, but the forward was right in position to bang it home. The lady Hawks were only afforded one power play opportunity in the second, but weren't able to capitalize on their man advantage, which left them going into the second intermission down 1-0. At the end of two, the shots still favoured the visiting POE Red team, 21-12. With the flood between the second and third, the coaches had a chance to really convey what they liked and what they didn't, giving the girls a chance to figure it all out. Whatever was said in the intermission break worked, as a completely different Hawks team came out to start the third. The girls saved their best performance for the last frame, and they did their best to even it up. They were given a few powerplay opportunities to work with, but it would be playing one of their two penalty kills, that they found the equalizer. On a great penalty kill by Megan, Mac, Lindsay and Ginny, Lindsay managed to chip the puck out of her own zone and just into the POE end, alertly looking up and seeing a narrow window, Ginny decided to make a hard forecheck, which, using her speed and strength, she got to the puck, on her backhand, pulled it to her forehand, and without hesitation, fired a ridiculously quick shot that whistled over the shoulder of the goaltender and went back bar down. Getting credit for the assist was Jenai. Just like that game was tied, with 4:54 remaining in regulation. The Hawks would not let up, and just kept pressing, but when the buzzer sounded to end the game, the score was knotted at one, and the shots on net were 26-24 in favour of POE. This meant the girls had outshot their competition 12-5 in the final period. The game would end in a tie, with no overtime and no shootout. Corinne played absolutely stellar in net, making 25 saves, many of those being high quality chances.

Game 2 saw the Hawks face a somewhat familiar foe, the Minnesota Revolution U19 team, which they had tangled with on three previous occasions. Two of those games were one goal losses, and one was a tie, so the ladies had a good idea of how they needed to play. Well they must've gotten the memo, because this Hawks team was a determined bunch. They came out strong, and would not let up anytime soon. The fifteen minute periods allowed the girls to skate hard and keep an uptempo beat. Corinne would get the call to start in net, after a strong earlier game. There were two penatly kills in the first, and one powerplay opportunity. The one powerplay would be all that the Hawks would need, as exactly one minute into the powerplay, at 8:16 in the first, Jenai took a pass from Captain Kate, and walked into the high slot and ripped a wrist shot high over the Minnesota goalie's blocker, drawing first blood. Less than a minute later, after some great work along the boards by Katie and Brooklyn Major in the Revolution's zone, Katie slid a pass over to Abbey, who was creeping in from the point, and without hesitation, she fired one five hole, that the netminder got most of, but not all of, as it slid across the line, giving the Hawks a two goal advantage. That would be all the scoring for the first period. In the second there was more back and forth action, with both goalies making some terrific saves to keep the score at 2-0. The Hawks were only penalized twice, while the obviously frustrated Minnesota team saw a steady parade to the penalty box, with no less than five trips to the sin bin. With the chance to regroup and refocus, the Minnesota team came out with a new purpose in the third frame, and the Hawks didn't seem to have an answer. After surviving the first five minutes unscathed, at the 10:08 mark of the third, the Revolution would finally solve Corinne, and get their first of the game. With this newfound momentum, Minnesota would keep pressing, and after a Hawks penalty, they would tie it up at two, less than two minutes after scoring their first. Not quitting there, the wheels would completely come off the for the Hawks, as the U19's would take the lead, scoring their third goal of the period, a powerplay goal again, in span of 76 seconds. To make it four unanswered goals, with just under four and a half minutes in the game, the Revolution put their stamp on the game. A late goal on a scramble in front of the net by Katie Heppner made it interesting, with the helper going to Brooklyn Major, but it would be too little, too late, as the damage was done and the Revolution would win another one goal contest.

Game 3 pitted the Hawks against the defending Esso Cup Champion Weyburn Gold Wings, a team the Hawks faced in the Notre Dame tournament in Wilcox. Hoping for a similar outcome as in Saskatchewan, in which the lady Hawks won, the girls came out ready to work hard. Weyburn seemed up to the challenge, as the teams traded blows early but neither goaltender was willing to concede the first goal. There would be no scoring in the first, and Weyburn would outshoot Pembina Valley 9-6 in the first. Hoping to come out on top, the Hawks pressed hard, but Weyburn had their own plans and continued to outshoot and out-chance the girls. At 13:21 if the first, it would be the Hawks who would draw first blood, as Kate Friesen stepped into a shot from the point and rifled it into the back of the net, continuing her strong tournament play. That goal was unassisted. Then at the 8:01 mark of the second, it would be Jenai's turn to get on the scoresheet, after taking a pass from Burgandy, she teed one up and beat the Gold Wing netminder. With time winding down in the first, Chloe chipped the puck up to Katie, who alertly saw Alyssa cutting across the middle. Saucering a long up-ice pass, she hit Alyssa in full stride, and the quick footed Alyssa broke in on a breakaway, and made no mistake, beating the Weyburn goalie, and padding the lead to 3-0. Despite being outshot 14-8 in that frame, Pembina Valley skated into the intermission with a three goal lead. To this point Taylor had played awesome, keeping Weyburn off the gamesheet. In the third, Weyburn would outshoot the Hawks 17-1 (no, that's not a misprint), but Weyburn would not manage to beat Taylor. Taylor did try making it interesting though and almost got an assist, when late in the third, she came out to play the puck and instead of clearing the zone, she made a nice tape to tape pass...to the forechecking Gold Wing player who fired it on net. Luckily for Taylor, she managed to slide across and make a fantastic glove save. The final shots on net were 40-15 in favour of Weyburn, but the team game the Hawks deployed was effective and won them the game.

In game 4, the Hawks squared off against the Peace Country Storm at 4:45 on Saturday afternoon. The Hawks were sporting a new jersey for this game. A special mention goes out to Dwayne Major Transport, who has graciously sponsored the third (alternate) jerseys, in a great Hawks red colour, which look fantastic! The coaches had a couple of goals in mind for the game, as always, and were hoping the girls could complete as many of the tasks as were laid out for them. Within two minutes of the puck drop, it was Hawks who took command of the game. They dumped and chased, they forechecked, they pressured the puck carrier, and they won face-offs. This pressure eventually paid off when Sage threw the puck up the right side of the boards, and Brooklyn wisely chipped it off the boards at the opposition's blue line, where Chelsea picked it up in full stride. Chelsea took one stride and let go a laserbeam that beat the Storm goalie over the shoulder at 5:19 of the first. Thinking that one goal lead wasn't enough, the girls would strike again, when a scrum in front of the net resulted in a couple of whacks at the puck, but when the puck squirted out to Alyssa, she pulled out her pitching wedge and lofted a soft shot over the Storm netminder who was down covering the bottom of the net. Drawing assists on that play were Alyssa's forward linemates, Brooklyn Major and Katie. Finishing off the period strong, the girls skated hard, and ended the frame with a 2-0 lead, and holding the edge in shots 18-4. In the second period it was much of the same, with the Hawks dominating the play and carrying the bulk the puck possession game. There would be no scoring until late in the period, when on the powerplay, Kate and Brooklyn Platt worked the puck down low and Captain Kate, stationed behind the net, fed an open and waiting Sage. Sage didn't hesitate, wiring a shot high glove side, giving the Hawks a three goal cushion. Going into the intermission, the Hawks led 3-0, and had outshot Peace Country 17-7. Wanting to finish the game strong, the Hawks came out flying in the third period, showing no signs of slowing down. They had played terrific team defense, limiting the Storm to 11 shots through the first two frames. Not enough credit has gone to the defense corps this tournament, with girls who have blocked shots, kept the shooters to the outside, and making great first passes out of the zone, as well as Taylor and Corinne who have had excellent rebound control and have been square to the puck so often this weekend. This continued to be the case throughout the third as every player seemed to be clicking, and everyone seemed to know where their linemates would be. They moved the puck with ease, and that opened up a lot of opportunities. With only 2:20 left in the game, Katie chipped the puck up to Brooklyn Major who looked up ice. She saw a streaking Alyssa on the far right side and fed her a perfect pass, giving Alyssa another partial breakaway opportunity. She shot the puck low, and the Storm goalie made a pad save, but to Alyssa's credit she stayed with it and managed to lift a rebound shot over the goalie's pad, giving her two goals on the night. The assists on the play went to Brooklyn Major and Katie. That would be the extent of the scoring in the game, with the Hawks skating to the 4-0 victory, with Taylor playing terrific, turning aside all 15 shots. The girls play tomorrow (Sunday), at 10 am, hoping to finish the tournament off with a strong showing against St Mary's Academy.

Game 5 featured a match up against St Mary's Academy, in the Hawks' final game of the Shaftesbury tournament. Knowing that their opponent is a big physical team, with good talent, the girls had their mind set on playing a disciplined, team game. The first period was back and forth, action packed affair, with both teams trading punches. Both teams bent but wouldn't break, with some stellar saves at both ends of the ice. Alyssa had a breakaway where she shot it on net, and picked up her own rebound, but the whistle sounded just prior to the goalie falling into her own net. At our end, Corinne stood on her head making some great saves midway through the period. It was a clean period with neither team being penalized at any point. When the horn sounded to end the first, the score was tied at zero, and the shots favoured the Flames 11-10. There were a lot of positives in the first frame, and the ladies were hoping to continue that trend in the second. Much of the second period resembled the first, with both teams applying equal pressure in each other's zones. Unfortunately for the Hawks, the officials found Pembina Valley guilty of two infractions, one of which ended up costing a goal. Even thought the records show it was an even strength goal, the girl coming off the bench wasn't able to get into the play before St Mary's was able to get a shot off of from a sharp angle that managed to squeak past Corinne on the short side. That would be the only score of the second period, and with a 1-0 lead for St Mary's, the pressure would be on the Hawks to respond in the third. The shots in the second were PV - 8, St Mary's - 10, even with a couple of quality scoring chances and odd man rushes for the Hawks. In the third, the Hawks got an early advantage, when three minutes in, the Flames were called for tripping, allowing the Hawks to put their powerplay squad to work. St Mary's did a fantastic job of killing off the penalty, negating any quality scoring chances. After this powerplay, some of the wind was taken out of the girls' sails, and the Flames seemed to take advantage, hemming the Hawks in their defensive zone for stretches at a time. A few too many turnovers seemed to accentuate the fact that the scoring opportunities were getting fewer and farther between. A couple of late game penalties made it difficult for the offense to find a groove, and even with Corinne summoned to the bench for the extra attacker, the girls couldn't find the equalizing goal. The final ended up 1-0 for St Mary's, and the shots on goal in the third were 7-3 in favour of the visiting Flames. Even though the girls weren't able to end the tournament on a high note, there was definitely some positives to go on. The goaltending was fantastic, the defense played very strong, limiting some prolific teams from scoring, and the forwards had some great opportunities. Now the girls and coaches will turn their attention to league play, where they will want to work their way up the standings.

 

Friday Jan 23/15

With only five more league games left for Pembina Valley, every game is an important one, as the girls aim to reach the highest standing available. This evening the Hawks hosted the first place Westman Wildcats, who prior to tonight's game, sat 11 points up on the Hawks. The first period saw the girls come out with a high tempo pace, which was matched with equal intensity from their opponent. Not long into the period Westman started dictating the play with periods of sustained pressure, while the Hawks seemed to struggle getting the puck out of the zone. This would end up costing the home team as while the Wildcats were forechecking well and cycling the puck down low, when one of their wingers fed the always dangerous Jaycee Magwood in the crease where she calmly corralled the puck and wrapped it around Corinne in one motion, putting Westman up 1-0. Less than a minute later though, at 10:10, the Hawks responded when a backhand pass by Katie found Brooklyn Major who slid the puck over to Alyssa deep in the corner. Alyssa fired it towards the net from a bad angle, but the puck managed to deflect off of the Wildcat defender and into the back of the net. This sparked the Hawks who worked hard to find that next goal, but with another turnover deep in their own zone, the Hawks handed the Wildcats another opportunity, which they seized, so with only 21 seconds left in the frame, they pulled ahead again. This could have been very deflating for the girls, who despite being outshot 12-8, were still very much in the game. The second period saw a tightening up from both teams. Chances were fewer and farther between, although some of them were very good scoring opportunities. Both goaltenders did a good job of staying square to the puck and covering the angles well. There was no scoring until late in the frame, when Kate Friesen had moved the puck into the zone and kept it deep. She spotted Chelsea who had found some open ice beside the net. Chelsea fired a crisp pass onto the tape of Sage, who snapped home her first of the contest, tying the game at two, with only 1:38 left. The shots were even at eight a piece in the second. Armed with the coaches strategy after the second intermission, the girls came out with some extra zip in their step for the third. Early on, they pressured the Wildcats and the crowd sensed that the there was a bit of a momentum swing. This aggressive play would be rewarded when Chelsea, who had been skating well all game long and forechecked well, picked up a loose puck and fired past the Westman netminder, bringing the hometown crowd to their feet, breaking the tie and giving the Hawks their first lead of the game, at 16:42. The Wildcats though, would not go away quietly. On the next shift, there would be two chances by the Hawks to gain possession in their zone, but were unable to clear the blueline and relieve some pressure. When the puck dribbled out from the side of the net, in front of Corinne, she dove and used every inch of her tall frame to pounce on the puck, but it would sit there, just out of her reach. With two Hawks right there in position, it looked safe, but as they played it, the puck found it's way right onto the stick of the pinching defenseman who walked in and fired into the net over an outstretched Corinne, who had no time to recover. This tied the game again, giving the Hawks 15:43 to get that lead goal back. Minutes later, Taylor was called upon to finish up the game for the Hawks. She filled in admirably, stopping seven shots she faced in the remainder of the period. This game would be a spirited affair, with both teams taking penalties, and lacking some of the discipline that they would need to prepare themselves for the playoffs. The coaches stayed positive through it all as the Hawks killed off six minutes of penalties in the last 12 minutes of the game and despite some calls not necessarily going their way. In the last minute and a half of the game, the girls did an excellent job keeping the puck deep in the attacking zone and nearly getting that game winning goal. When the buzzer sounded to end regulation, the girls quickly regrouped to face the four on four overtime. Overtime would solve nothing, so a shootout would determine a winner. Westman shot first, which Taylor made the save on. Mac was first up for Pembina Valley, and although she had the goalie beat, she just missed the net on the short side. Taylor would stop the next shooter, which set up Lindsay's opportunity. Lindsay made no mistake, going right to left, dekeing out the goaltender and celebrating in style. This gave Taylor a chance to come up big and make one more key save, which she did, preserving the win, and giving the Hawks an important two points in the standings. Final shots on goal were 33-23 in favour of the Wildcats, with Corinne making 21 saves and Taylor stopping nine shots, between regulation and overtime. Next game is tomorrow night (Saturday), in Shoal Lake at 7:30 pm.

 

Saturday Jan 24/15

Saturday afternoon the girls hit the road for a game in Shoal Lake against the Yellowhead Chiefs. With their sights set on trying to secure second place in the league by season's end, the girls understood the importance of this game. Having scored seven goals against the Chiefs the last time the girls were up there, the confidence was quite high. The smaller ice surface of the Chiefs' rink would prove to be a test for the ladies, as time and space is at a premium with the quick skating and hard forechecking Yellowhead team. The girls seemed to battle the puck early, not being able to corral passes and hitting the tape with the same success that they've had in previous games. Taylor made some good saves to keep the Chiefs off of the scoreboard in the first, denying a breakaway attempt and displaying good rebound control. At 6:52 of the first, there was a scramble in front of the Yellowhead goalmouth, when the puck got loose and Chelsea swung away at it, until it crossed the goal line. The ref, who was in proper position, blew the play dead and waved off the goal, presumably after he lost sight of it temporarily. This would have provided a great momentum swing, as the Chiefs had been somewhat dominant in the first. There would be no goals scored in the first and the shots on goal registered at 5-5. Unfortunately things would not go the Hawks way in the second. They were badly outplayed and the puck bounces would favour the home team on almost every possession. One minute and 48 seconds into the first, the Chiefs would strike first, when with the Hawks in control of the puck in their own zone, a dangerous pass up the middle, hit the Yellowhead forward on the tape. She shot it on net, and Taylor made a great save. The puck got loose in a scramble at the top of the crease and a Chiefs player was able to lift it over Taylor's pad for the first score of the game. The second period was all Chiefs, as the Hawks had a lot of trouble getting the puck out of their own zone. There were 19 turnovers in the frame, which makes it hard to gain any sort of momentum. With 2:56 left in the second, a bad angle shot deflected off of the Hawks defensman's leg and just snuck past Taylor on the short side, giving the Chiefs a 2-0 lead. Yellowhead outshot Pembina Valley 16-3 in the second. Knowing that they would have to win the third period, the girls came out more focused in the third. Some lines got juggled in hopes of sparking some offense. These moves paid off in the short term, when at 15:55 of the third, and a scrum in front of the Chief's net, Lindsay and Ginny batted away at the puck, and this time when it found the back of the net, the referee called it a good goal. Credited with the goal was a hard working Ginny, and the assist went to Lindsay. With a ray of light shining on the game, the girls kept up the pace, and picked up even more steam. They pressed hard for that tying goal, giving Yellowhead all that they could, but that second goal proved too elusive. Taylor was called to the bench for the extra skater and the play was down in the Yellowhead zone for a while, but with time ticking away, they managed to clear the zone and skate away with the victory. The final was 2-1, with Taylor taking the hard-luck loss. Shots in the final frame were 7-5

 

                                                                                       Friday Jan. 30

Taking on the Central Plains Capitals at the friendly confines of the Manitou and Community Arena for the last time in the regular season, the Pembina Valley Hawks were hoping to start their last weekend of regular season hockey with a W in the win column. The first few minutes of the first period looked great, as the shifts were short, the passes were crisp and the girls were playing smart hockey. This translated into great puck possessions and controlling the play in the Caps zone. The smaller ice surface of the Manitou rink forces players to make quicker decisions and limits the space in which to stickhandle. The Hawks were able to play smart and use this to their advantage. With 8:22 showing on the clock, the Hawks would finally solve the Caps netminder, when at the end of a long shift with Chelsea, Lindsay and Ginny doing a great job of forechecking and Megan and Jenai doing a fantastic job keeping the puck in at the blue line, Ginny managed to continue her hot scoring streak, beating the Caps goalie at the side of the net. Drawing the assists on the play were Lindsay and Chelsea. The Caps though would respond late in the period, when taking advantage of a powerplay opportunity, they won the draw to Corinne's left, slid it back to the defenseman, who took a slapshot that found it's way through the traffic, just inside the far post. There was nothing more Corinne could do, as she played it perfectly. The Hawks outshot their opponent 7-5 in the first, but had to settle for a split score. In the second frame, it seemed like the Hawks got lured into a faster paced game, trying to stay with the speedy Caps forwards. This led to some errant passes and forced situations where the Hawks found some themselves struggling to make plays. They weren't able to get the puck deep and forecheck with the same effectiveness that made the first period more successful. Just under nine mintes left in the second, a cross ice pass was intercepted and Central Plains was able to capitalize on the opportunity when a hard shot off the post ricocheted off of Corinne and into the net behind her. This unfortunate bounce would end up proving costly for the Hawks. By the end of the second, they would be down two goals to one, and they were outshot 10-6 in the frame. Knowing it would take a gutsy third period comeback, the girls came out strong in the third. The new style of pressuring the defense in the attacking zone seemed to work well for the Hawks, as they consistantly hemmed the Caps in their own zone, but unfortutately for them it would not translate into quality scoring chances. The Capitals did a fantastic job of blocking shots and taking away shooting lanes. In the Hawks zone, Corinne played excellent down the stretch, as she knew she would have to shut the door the rest of the way to keep her team in it. With the game being as physical as it was, the ref was letting the girls play, but two hard to swallow penalties in the second half of the period really deflated the girls chances of mounting a comeback. Corinne was pulled late in frame to try for that one last ditch attempt, but even with the extra push the Hawks mustered, it wouldn't be enough as another hard luck loss was handed to them by the visitors. The Hawks worked hard and deserved a better fate than they received today, but sometimes the bounces just don't go your way.

Saturday Jan 31/15

On Saturday afternoon, Jan 31/15, the Hawks hosted the Eastman Selects in their final home game of the season. For the first time this season, the Hawks would play at the Millenium Exhibition Centre in Altona, allowing Captain Kate to actually walk to game. Okay, she probably drove, but it's nice for most of the girls to be able to play in their hometown rink. Knowing that a win or loss wouldn't affect the standings, the girls still wanted to close out the regular season with a couple of wins, riding a high with confidence going into the playoffs. Getting the nod in net was Taylor Reimer. The first period saw two goals, at 15:54. Lindsay was rewarded for all of her hard work when she beat the Selects goaltender. Drawing the assist on the goal was Sage. Then, at 12:10 of the first, Eastman scored a powerplay goal, to even things up. The score after one was 1-1, with the shots favouring the Hawks 13-9. In the second frame, the girls really took it to Eastman, completely dominating the play. Although the second would see no scoring, there was no shortfall in opportunities, as the Hawks heavily outshot their opponent 18-5. In the third, Pembina Valley would again score first, when at 14:17, Kate blasted a shot from the point, beating the netminder to restore the one goal lead. Credited with the assists were Sage, her second of the afternoon, and Mackenzie. Just under three mintues later, Eastman would respond, tying the game, and making for an exciting finish. Then, at 7:45 of the third, the Hawks would score their third goal of the game, which would prove to be the game winner. This time the hero would be Megan, who took a feed from Jenai and Katie, and made no mistake, firing the puck into the back of the net, giving the hometown a reason to cheer. The game would end 3-2, with Taylor playing terrfic in net and earning the win. The final shots on net were a decisve 55-23.