Playoffs Round 2 vs Central Plains Capitals

Sunday Mar 8/15 - Game 3

Game 3 was played back in Portage, at the BDO Centre, where it would be do or die for the Pembina Valley Hawks. Some of last year's contigent had been in this scenario, down two games with their backs to the wall last year against Westman, the girls were able to muster the resolve to battle back and win three straight. Unfortunately that wouldn't be the case this year. There would be no magical comeback. The odds were stacked against this year's edition of the Hawks, and they were playing a team that seemingly had all the breaks. This year's Hawks team would not go down quietly though, playing tough, working hard and doing whatever they could to rally. The game started with a slight edge in momentum to the home team. The Hawks played smart for the first couple of shifts and withstood an early attack, and responding with some sustained pressure themselves. The Caps were awarded an early powerplay less than four minutes into the game. Less than 30 seconds into that first man advantage, Central Plains seized the opportunity, and on a great backdoor pass down low, they jumped out to a 1-0 lead. There was really nothing Taylor could do on that play, it was a perfectly executed one-timer. With 16:03 left in the first, the Hawks found themselves down once again, which seemed to be the series norm. There was no panic, and the Hawks battled back, with long periods of pressure in the attacking zone, but on one play the puck was swatted at and just went over the crossbar, another bounced over the Caps netminder but she was able to recover. On yet another shot, the batted puck was called down with a high stick against the Hawks. The shots at the end of one, were even at nine. The second period saw the Hawks let up a bit, and the Caps took advantage, hemming the Hawks in the defensive zone on a number of occasions, especially with the the three penalty kills that they were forced to deal with. This took a lot of momentum out of the Hawks' sails, but the girls would show their resiliancy, bending but not breaking. On one play, Katie turned and fired a shot on net that caught the inside of the post, but wouldn't cross the goal line. Chelsea had a great opportunity on a one-timer, but that too would not go in. There would be no scoring in the frame, as Pembina Valley was only able to garner four shots on net, while Taylor turned away all seven shots she faced. In the third period, with thier season on the line, the girls threw everything they had at the Caps. Wave after wave of pressure forced the Capitals back on their heels, but the quality scoring chances would not appear. As the visiting crowd anxiously watched the clock wind down, the nerves started to take their toll. A few questionable non-calls would leave the Hawks bench with a sour taste, but the referee had decided to let the five on five action dictate the course of the game for the duration. As desperation set in late, Taylor was summoned to the bench and six attackers were sent in for an offensive zone face off. This tactic almost worked, as two shots just whistled past the far post, and a scrum in front of the net almost yielded the tying goal, but with time winding down, the Capitals finally managed to clear the zone and the home team erupted as the Pembina Valley Hawks would finally be dethroned as the MFMHL champions for the very first time... 

A lot of girls hung their heads after the conclusion of the game, and there's no doubt that tears were shed. The fact that the deciding game was lost, and the season was over was no doubt agonizing for all those involved. It's easy to muse that this wasn't the end result that anyone in the Pembina Valley was looking for, but it cannot go without saying that despite not reaching the same pinnacle of hockey success that this progam has seen in past years, these girls and their coaches left everything on the ice. They carried themselves with dignity and pride, confidence, class and talent. This may be the last write up this season for this writer, but I, along with all those ardent Hawks supporters, the parents, grandparents, friends, siblings and alumni, salute you girls! Best of luck to our graduating players, Kate and Burgandy! All the best to Captain Kate as she prepare to suit up for the Providence Friars next year, and Burgandy, whichever school sees your heart and talent, and picks you up for the fall season. Thanks to everyone who helped in any capacity this year, the progam would not have been the success that it was. Special mention goes out to Coach Jeff, Coach Matt, Coach Brad, Coach/President Larry, Coach Tim, Dr Chuck, Manager Darcy, and all the parents who stepped up and did what it takes to make this all happen.

Thursday Mar 5/15 - Game 2

Game 2 saw the series shift to Morden, with the Hawks looking for a shift in series momentum. The Hawks knew that they would have to start scoring in this series in order to gain any advantage. Knowing that a loss would really put them in a tough spot, the girls were focused and ready from the get go. In almost a repeat of game one though, the Capitals would strike first on the second shift of the game, giving the visitors an early lead. There wouldn't be many chances in the first period, it was a tightly defensive affair. Both teams limited the opportunities, and the result was a 5-5 shots on goal tie. In the second period, the Hawks came out firing. From the drop of the puck, they showed a determination that hadn't been displayed in the series thus far. They spent a lot of time in the attacking zone, with wave after wave of sustained pressure. A few a quality shots missed the net but the girls kept pressing. When the Hawks were awarded a second powerplay opportunity fairly early in the second, the girls went to work, with a shot from the point from Mackenzie hit the post, it came out to a waiting Sage who slipped the puck into the back of the net tying the game at 1. With confidence knowing they could now score, they kept the pressure up. Unfortunately though, with 3:24 left in the second frame, the Caps centreman found a waiting winger at the back door, and she made no mistake punching the puck past Corinne, restoring the Caps one goal lead. Undaunted, the Hawks went back to work though, and with time winding down in the period, Abbey threw the puck up ice to Sage who came sprinting off the bench. Fighting off an aggressive check, she hustled to the net and shovelled it over the Capitals' goaltender to tie the game once again. This new found life gave the home team another great reason to cheer their team on for the start of the third. Corinne had made some terrific saves in the second, keeping Central Plains off balance. The shots in the second favoured the Hawks 10-9. In the third period it would be all Hawks. They pressured, forechecked, backchecked, won face off after face off, but it would be an untimely goal that would dictate the game. With 5:52 left in the final period, on a one on one situation, a wrist shot from the top of the circle would beat Corinne, once again giving the Caps the lead. Showing the heart and resiliency of a true Hawks team though, the home team kept pushing onward. With the extra attacker on for the pulled netminder, the Hawks were able to get the puck deep and force a face off in the Caps zone. After the puck got chipped past the Caps centre, a Central Plains defenseman tried to fire the puck around the boards. Reading the play like a pro, Ginny intercepted the pass and skated in to the goalie's right. She fired the puck at the net and as it flipped up, it was deflected into the back of the net, sending the arena into a frenzy. Immediately as the girls were celebrating, the referee waved his arms repeatedly, disallowing the tying goal. In sheer disbelief, the crowd sat there stunned as the goal, and the renewed optimism it brought with, was quashed. There would be no happy ending on this night. No magical comeback. Just a lot of "what might have been." A game that was dominated by the Hawks in every statistical category, didn't have it in the most important one...the scoreboard. The shots on net in the third were a staggering 14-3 for the home team, with the final shots on net being 29-17 for the Hawks. With a few days off to let this one sink in and get mentally prepared for Sunday's match back in Portage, the girls and the coaching staff will come prepared to do what they did last year against Westman, reel off three straight wins to take the series. But for now, it's one period at a time...
 

Tuesday, Mar 3/15 - Game 1

Tuesday night the lady Hawks took to the ice at the BDO Centre in Portage la Prairie to square off against the number one team in the MFMHL this season, the Central Plains Capitals. The Caps seemed to own the Hawks this year, with Pembina Valley coming out on the losing end on four of the five meetings this year. This though is the playoffs and anything can happen. The girls knew they were in tough and would have to bring their "A" game. Being without the services of defenseman Jenai Buchanan for a seventh straight game, wouldn't help matters, but this being a team game, the girls knew that a collective effort would be required in any case. The game didn't start out as planned, with the Caps coming out hopping, forcing the play in the Hawks defensive zone early and often. On an unfortunate miscue on the second shift of the game, a two on one ensued with Burgandy hustling back to act as the lone defensman. The Caps got a shot on goal and before the defensive trailer could get to the crease, the Capitals forward scooped the loose puck over Taylor's pad to notch the first goal of the game. It took several minutes for the Hawks to recompose and mount any sort of attack. Things finally started clicking and the girls were able to muster a few shots on net, but not longer after, the horn had sounded ending 20 minutes of play, with the Caps holding a 1-0 lead. The Hawks had outshot Central Plains by a narrow 9-8 margin, but most of those shots came from the outside, not really quality scoring chances. A few shots that sailed high and wide, where part of that reason. In the second frame it would be all Caps, as they used their great skaking and puck moving skills to dominate the Hawks. Taylor did all she could to thwart the attack, and she held them off of a long stretch, but finally, with 2:25 left in the second, they managed to get another goal on a goal mouth scramble, that added to their lead. Skating into the second intermission, the Hawks found themselves down by two and facing an uphill battle. The shots in the second favoured the home team 14-11. In the third, the girls knew that psychologically, they needed to get at least one goal past the Capitals netminder to regain some of that lost confidence. Unfortunately, that elusive goal would not come, and while on the powerplay, the Caps would put the nail in the coffin with 13:56, on another scrum in front of the net. Taylor really had no chance on that breakdown in front of her crease. With time winding down int the game, the Hawks would pull Taylor for the extra attacker, but to no avail. The goals that came so easy in the Avros series would not show in the first game of this one. The final score was 3-0, and the Hawks were outshot 29-28. Game 2 goes Thursday when Pembina Valley hosts the Capitals at the Access Event Centre in Morden.