Sunday Feb 1/15 - Final Regular Season Game

 

Going into the last game of the regular season, the girls knew that this game would be the same match up as they would see in the first round of the playoffs. Although some teams had games in hand over us, the playoff match ups were determined already, and this game would set the tone. The Hawks travelled to the Keith Bodley arena in Winnipeg's west end for a Sunday aftenoon tilt. The game would prove to be a spirited one, with a vocal crowd, great back and forth action and some great goaltending. In the first the play would go end to end, with each team bending but not breaking. There would be some point blank shots and terrific set ups at both ends of the ice, but both goalies were determined to steal the show. At one end, Chelsea took a feed from Katie and ripped a shot into what seemed to be a wide open net, but somehow the Avros netminder came up with a remarkable save. The visiting crowd was cheering because they thought she had scored, and the home team's crowd was cheering the great save. At the other end of the ice, Corinne made an impossible left pad save on a screen shot, and then stopped a girl who was wide open in front of the net. As good as the goaltenders were, the Hawks would find a way to score when on a great shift where the Dearsley/Thiessen/Heppner line kept the puck deep in the attacking zone. With a bunch of players tied up in the high slot, Chelsea and Katie dug the puck out and flipped it back to the point where Jenai stepped into a shot that blasted through traffic and into the back of the net, with 3:48 left in the first. There would be no other scoring in the frame and the shots were 14-12 in the Hawks favour. The second period saw more see-saw action, but the Avros came out with a little more momentum, and scored their first of the contestat 10:15. The Hawks pushed back, but the Winnipeg netminder was equal to the task. There would be no other scoring in the second, even though the Hawks outshot the home team 14-9. The Hawks wanted to come out strong in the third and establish that they would be the team to beat, and that's just what they did. Fighting through adversity, where they had to kill off three penalties in the frame, they kept plugging away. at 9:14 they were rewarded with another goal when Ginny worked the puck low, passed it over to Sage who set up a pinching Kate who one-timed it and scored the go ahead goal. The Hawks kept up the pressure, but weren't able to get that two goal cushion. With under four minutes to play, Chelsea took a great stretch pass that she clearly tipped at the blue line. Inexplicably, not one of the three officials saw the tip and icing was called. Unfortunately for the Hawks, they couldn't change and the Avros scored on the ensuing face off. Shaking off the bad break the girls pressed hard in the final two minutes but they could not find that go-ahead goal. Overtime was exciting with more back and forth action, Corinne played incredible, stopping what could have been a sure goal late in the extra frame. Overtime solved nothing, so a shoot out would have to. Mac went first, but was unable to convert. Corinne stopped the first shooter. Lindsay was up next and she made no mistake, firing it past the Avros goalie. Corinne made a great sprawling save to stone the next shooter. This set the table for Sage who dangled, hammered on the brakes and slid the puck into the back of the open net, sealing the victory for the Hawks. Final score was 3-2, and the final shots were Hawks 42, Avros 35. Great, exciting way to end the regular season, with an emotional charged win. Next up for the Hawks is a weekend set in Fairbault, MN, where the girls will visit Shattuck St Mary's. Great job Hawks!!

 

                                                       Sunday Feb 7-8/15 Shattuck St Mary's Exhibition Games

The Hawks and some faithful fans hopped on the bus and travelled to Faribault, MN to take on the Shattuck St Mary's U19 prep team for three exhibition games. The travelling was easy, as the roads were clear and the weather was very cooperative. With a late Saturday morning start, the coaches decided that that giving the girls a chance to have a little waterpark fun would keep the mood light and the girls promised to work hard this weekend.

Game 1 saw the Hawks face off against SSM at 11:00 am, with three 17 minute periods and a flood between the second and third period only. Shattuck came out strong to start the period, their talent and speed was on full display. The Hawks though, played tough and worked at keeping the hard forechecking opponent off of the game sheet. In the Hawks net, Taylor was ready for every challenge as she covered all the angles, steering away shot after shot, and smothering every rebound. It took about four minutes for the Hawks to direct a shot at the SSM net, and there would not be many of those in the first, but by the time the first frame came to an end, the score was still tied at zero, in large part to the stellar play of the Hawks netminder. Shots on goal were registered as 11-4 in favour of the home team. Just before the end of the first frame, the Hawks were awarded a powerplay opportunity, of which the bulk of it would be served to start the second. Unfortunately for the Hawks, the first shift of the period did not start as planned, as just over a minute in, SSM scored the first of the game, a shorthanded marker. The SSM forward took control of the puck and without too much adversity, she walked into the high slot and ripped one over Taylor's glove hand. This complacency seemed to carry over to pretty much the rest of the second period, and the Hawks just could not get things going. The tape to tape passes, and the quick give and go's of their opponent had the girls scrambling to cover areas they haven't been accustomed to pick up players. By the end of the second period, the score was still 1-0 for SSM but the shots on goal were a dismal 11-2 for the Minnesota team. Pembina Valley knew they would have to try a different approach in the third to manufacture a scoring chance in front the the SSM netminder. It's not that they didn't have any chances, but the girls were looking for plays in front of the net instead of shooting the puck. At the 6:06 mark of the third period, the girls were finally rewarded on a great shift. Brooklyns Major and Platt, along with Lindsay had done forechecked well, and when a play was broken up in front of the net, Lindsay alertly had her stick in position to shoot, and with the goalie out of position, she fired into the back of the net to tie the game. Drawing assists were Brooklyn Major and Brooklyn Platt. It looked like some of the momentum was shifting with some new found confidence, but on a suspect non-call offside, a three on two ensued and a cross ice pass hit the leg of a SSM player and deflected past Taylor who had no opportunity to make a save on the play. Despite pulling the goalie, the Hawks couldn't manage to establish control in the offensive zone and home team would take game one by a score of 2-1.

In between the first and second game lunch was picked up in Faribault and taken back to the hotel. After lunch the girls all took their turn with a one on one meeting with the coaches. Just as the last meeting concluded, it was time to load up the bus and head back to the rink.

Game two was a 6:00 pm start. The girls had a chance to regroup with their afternoon break, knowing now what their opponent was capable of. The coaches wanted to the girls to stick to their game plan, not trying to adapt their style to match their opponents, but rather to play to their own strengths. This seemed to work well as the first period saw the girls play smart, slowing the pace of the game down and playing a strong defensive game. Looking to convert on every opportunity they could, the Hawks managed to get on the board first, when a shot deflected off a defenseman's leg, to Sage who shot the puck which got blocked. On the play, the SSM defenseman accidently shot the puck into net. Credited with the goal was Sage, with Ginny getting the assist. Corinne played strong in net in the first, keeping the puck out of the net even with quality scoring chances in tight. The first period came to a close with the Hawks holding a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard, with shots at only 4-5 in favour of the home team. There was no flood between the first and second period, but they were a world apart in how they played out. The second frame was a rather forgettable one, as the Hawks struggled and Shattuck picked up the pace. At 8:50 they scored the first goal, and less than a minute later, they scored a second time. With 41 seconds left in the second, SSM scored their third of the frame, when the SSM forward beat Corinne five hole on a backhand. By the time the Zamboni hit the ice, the score was 3-1, and the Hawks had been outshot 12-5 (7-1 in the second frame alone). The coaches were looking for the girls to regroup and get back to what made the first period successful. In order to shake things up, Taylor was asked to step in for the third period. The girls stepped it up to start the third, eclipsing their second period shot total in the first two minutes. They pushed their opponent back on their heels for a moment, but with 12:37 left in the game, a SSM forward picked up the puck and skated end to end, going through most of the Hawks, making a great move on Taylor, and sliding the puck into the open net. The Hawks would respond late in the frame though, when at 4:13, the puck deflected to the point where Kate made one move past a winger and fired it into traffic in front of the net. The puck dropped to the goalie's right and without hesitation, Ginny picked it up and curled her stick around the goalie's outstretched blocker, notching her first goal of the weekend. That would be all the scoring there would be in this game, and the Hawks would drop their second straight, a 4-2 decision. The final shots on goal were 22-14 for Shattuck's U19 team.

Game 3 started at 9:00 am, with the girls looking to rebound from last night's tough loss. Getting the start in net for this one was Taylor, who was looking to build on her solid start in game one. The keys to this game would be strong team-first defence and trying to generate a few more offensive opportunities. To start the game the SSM Sabres came out flying. The first couple of shifts were dominant for the home team as they skated around the Hawks. Taylor was playing confidently in front of her team though, as she seemed calm and cool in net. She came up big in the first, shutting the door on a few good scoring chances. Playing with only four d-men would prove taxing as well as Mackenzie would sit this one out after taking a spill into the net in yesterday's late game. SSM would eventually solve Taylor though when a blocker save turned into a goal. After making the save, the puck must've got caught in Taylor's equipment and before the ref blew the whistle, the puck fell to the ice and rolled across the goal line. Not long after that, on a clinic on how to pass in the offensive zone, a Sabre was left all alone in front of the and made a superior move, making it 2-0. That would mark the end of the scoring in the first with the shots favouring SSM 13-4. The Sabres play disciplined and skate extremely well so the girls needed to find a chink in the armour. Shortly into the second frame, SSM's number 11 took control of the puck, found some open ice and just unleashed a shot that was just perfect, glancing off the post and in, making it 3-0. Not long after, again on some unbelievably crisp passing, they made it 4-0. That would spell the end of the line for Taylor who did what she could. Corinne would now be tasked with stopping the bleeding. She did just that, keeping the Sabres off the board for the rest of the period. The shots at the end of the second were 7-5 for SSM. The Hawks did have some chances, but couldn't convert on them. In the third period, the Sabres would score on their first shift, making it 5-0. Corinne would make some difficult saves doing her utmost to stem the flow, but the superiority of the prep team showed in the third, as they rang up another three goals, making the final 8-0. Unfortunately this game wasn't able to live up to the previous two contests as the home team would take all three games. Third period shots on goal were 10-6 Sabres.

 

Friday Feb 20/15

With one last opportunity to sharpen the skills before the playoffs, the lady Hawks took to the ice in Carman against the Shaftesbury Titans. Both teams were without some key players who were either playing in the Canada Games or injured. The first period was fairly uneventful, outside of a few odd man rushes here and there, but mostly a defensive period. Corinne got the start in net, and played terrific, turning aside alll the shots she faced. There would be no scoring in the frame, with the visiting team holding an 8-6 advantage in shots on goal. Things opened up a little more in the second period, with a few more chances, but again, there would be no scoring. Midway through the period, Taylor was brought in for Corinne, just to give both girls some pre-playoff game action. The period saw the Hawks outshot 9-7, but the girls seemed to have a better period than the first. In the third period, the game got a lot more interesting with both teams trading jabs, but neither finding the back of the net. With a late powerplay opportunity, the Hawks looked to gain the upper hand, but instead it would be the Titans who would break the scoreless tie on a shorthanded effort. However, on that same powerplay opportunity, the Hawks would figure things out and score just over a minute later. In the final minutes there were some more opportunities, but both goalies played well and shut the door. With it being an exhibition game, it was decided five minute overtime would be played to see if a winner could be had. A defensive zone breakdown behind the net led to a scramble in front of the net, and with only :39 left on the clock, the Titans scored, ending the game. Final shots on goal were 31-28 Titans.

 

Wednesday Feb 25/15 - The Playoffs...

Just like that the regular season is behind us, and the playoffs, aka the second season, is upon us. With the standings the way they unfolded, Pembina Valley ended up in fourth position, which meant the Winnipeg Avros would be the first team to stand in the way of the Hawks seeking to defend their provincial title. Wednesday evening the girls took to the ice at 7:30 pm to show everyone what they were made of. Jeff, Matt and the other coaches had worked all season to prepare these girls for this moment. From the drop of the puck, the Hawks set the pace, pushing the play deep into the Avros zone. Every line rolled out there and forced the play. The Hawks dominated early in the period, hemming the Avros deep in their zone and attacking with relentless forechecking. This great offensive attack was rewarded early, when one a shorthanded rush, Captain Kate picked up a loose puck in the neutral zone, busted across the blue line and blasted a low shot which beat the Winnipeg netminder five-hole with 12:39 left in the first. This sent the partisan crowd into a loud collective cheer, and set the tone for the rest of the period. A few minutes later, the first line would strike for their first of the game, when some great passing in the attacking zone, Brooklyn Platt slid the puck over to Sage who found Chelsea in front of the net, and she made no mistake, beating the goalie for her first of the playoffs, and giving the Hawks a 2-0 advantage. Then with time winding down, it would be Lindsay getting in on the action when she took a pass from Burgandy and wired one top shelf, giving the home crowd even more reason to celebrate. Notching the second assist on that goal was Ginny, who would end up with three points on the night. Shots on goal in the first were Hawks - 16, Avros - 10. Going into the second period, the girls were taking no chances, wanting to keep thier foot on the gas. They had coughed up a lead more than once to this same team, and they weren't planning on doing that again. The first half saw some back and forth action, but when the powerplay opportunities presented themselves, the girls jumped on the chance to pad the lead. At 11:20 in the second, Ginny would rip a wrist shot high to the blocker side, giving the Hawks a 4-0 lead, after some great back and forth passing from Mac at the blue line. Mackenzie drew the lone assist on the play. After getting into a little penalty trouble of their own, the Hawks found themselves trapped in their zone on a 5 on 3 situation. A fairly harmless shot on net was deflected just over the shoulder of a helpless Taylor, who had the low angles covered. This gave Winnipeg a little life with 5:13 to go in the second, but the Hawks would snuff that right out, after killing the remaining penalty on the board. Then with 2:21 left in the frame, another powerplay opportunity gave the Hawks a chance to take a four goal lead into the second intermission. This time it would be Burgandy, scoring her first of the game, after some great passing from Ginny and Katie. Burgandy, who was right in front of the net, shovelled the puck past the helpless Avros netminder to make it a 5-1 game. Shots in that period were even at 10 apiece. Going into the third period, the fans were hoping the girls would finish strong instead of putting it on cruise control. Needless to say, the lady Hawks were in the same frame of mind. 7:51 into the final period, it would be Burgundy again, potting her second goal of the night and third point, making it a 6-1 contest. After some back and forth passing between Mac at the blue line and Katie on the far boards, Mac unloaded a heavy shot from the point that the goalie made a save on, but there to clean up the rebound was Burg. Not to be outdone, with 2:34 remaining in the game, Alyssa alertly saw an opportunity on an Avro line change to swoop in on a breakaway and running out of room fired a low, sharp angle shot that beat the goalie five-hole, sealing the victory in game one. Taylor played a terrific game in net, turning aside all but one of the 30 shots fired at her, but this victory was a team one. When the dust settled, the team was a plus 19, with eleven different girls getting points in this one. Even though not everyone was on the scoresheet, each one contributed to this important first win of the playoffs. It was clear the girls came to play, and it was evident that they were having fun out there. A great way to start the playoff run! Game two goes tomorrow, Thursday Feb 26th, at 7:15 at the Keith Bodley arena in Winnipeg's west end.

Thursday Feb 26/15 Game 2 of the Playoffs

Looking to build on the terrific momentum that they had started in game one, the Hawks travelled to Winnipeg in hopes of defeating the Avros on their home ice to clinch the first round of the playoffs. The girls were confident after riding a high of emotion in the previous day's game, but they knew that Winnipeg wouldn't just hand them game two. With their backs against the wall, the Avros would come out flying, trying to stave off elimination. Standing in their way would be a very confident goalie in Taylor, who played a super solid game in net in game one. Right from the moment the puck dropped, it would be Avros who would carry the play, forcing the Hawks back on their heels. Pembina Valley could not muster the intensity to match what their opponents brought early on. Taylor was tested early and she was up to the task as she thwarted each attempt. This game was quite different than the first game, which was marked with several powerplay and penalty kill opportunities. The Winnipeg officials were content to have the girls battle hard and not put either team in the box. Depsite being outplayed and outchanced, it would be the Hawks who would strike first, when Brooklyn Platt scored the first goal of the game at 9:27. There had been a bit of a scramble in front of the Avros net, and after both Chelsea and Sage took turns whacking at the puck, Brooklyn lifted it over the sprawling Avros netminder. Both Chelsea and Sage drew assists on the play. Only 25 seconds after that, a turnover in the neutral zone led to Lindsay picking up the puck and sliding it over to a rushing Kate, who noticed her teammates changing and allowing her to jump into the play. After receiving the pass from Lindsay, Kate crossed the blue line and rifled a shot that beat the Winnipeg goalie low to the glove side, putting the visitors up 2-0. Despite being down by two goals, the Avros kept pressing and continued to dominate the play and shots on net, but it would be the opportunistic Hawks who would capitalize again when Mac unloaded a shot from the blue line, again, low glove side, chasing the starting goalie from the game. This goal came about after some great work down low by Brooklyn Major who saw Alyssa get herself in position to find Mackenzie open at the blue line. After this there would be no more scoring in the first, so the visiting Hawks skated into the dressing room with a 3-0 lead despite being outshot 15-8 in the period. Everyone knew that this Avros team had come back from a 4-0 deficit earlier on in the season, so no one figured this lead was safe, especially how well Winnipeg was playing. The second period was all Avros. They played like they wanted it more, and it showed in the intensity that they brought. The only thing standing in their way of completey taking over the game was a 6'1" goaltender from Morden who refused to let that happen. Even though the Avros outshot the Hawks 19-7 in the second frame, only one shot managed to find its way in the Hawks net, when after making two acrobatic point-blank shot saves, a third rebound was picked up by the trailer, which the Hawks defenseman couldn't quite reach. Other than that lone goal, there would be no other scoring in the second period, so the Hawks would skate into the second intermission nursing a two goal advantage. Now we're assuming that the coaches commented on what they saw as a lacklustre performance, because it would be a different Hawks team that came out in the third. Being only 20 minutes away from clinching their berth into the second round, the Hawks turned the tables on their opponent, coming out hard. Starting the period on the powerplay, the girls made quick work of their opportunity, when Chelsea fed the puck back to a waiting Kate, who blasted a shot on net. Waiting for the juicy rebound was Sage who steered the puck around the outstretched netminder, restoring the visitors' three point lead. From there on in it would be Taylor's show who stymied the Avros dangerous offensive threats. The shots in the third were 15-7 for the Hawks. As the clock ticked down, the Avros threw everything they had at the Hawks, but there would be no comeback this time. As the final buzzer sounded, the Hawks loudly cheered as they hugged their goalie. Meanwhile a subdued Avros team gathered at their end, as some of their talented players pondered the end of their midget careers. A well fought season series ended with a bang for Pembina Valley as they defeated their first round foes 2-0, outscoring them 11-2 in the process. With this being the first series clinched in the MFMHL, the girls will have to wait to see if they play the waiting Central Plains Capitals, or if there is an upset in one of the other first round match-ups. Stay tuned...