Wildcats sweep Sharks to open playoffs
The Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats won three straight games to eliminate the Battlefords Sharks from the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League playoffs.
Thursday, the third-seeded Wildcats scored three power play goals in a 6-2 win over the visiting Sharks to open the series.
The game’s first three goals were scored on the power play and the two teams combined for five power play goals overall.
Maddy Mccleary scored the only goal of the first period with a power play blast.
Taylor Lind, fresh off being named the league’s Most Valuable Player, opened the second period with a power play goal that was assisted by netminder Amaya Giraudier. Ensley Fendelet got the Sharks on the board with a screened shot on the rush with 7:24 left in the middle stanza. Carissa Hogan restored the two-goal lead with a late goal in the period when she kept the puck on a two-on-one and wired it top shelf.
The Wildcats added three goals 2:57 apart in the third period when Sara Kendall scored on the power play and Baylee Kirwan scored on a penalty shot. Kendall quickly added her second of the period for a 6-1 lead.
Sydney Rowley added a late power play goal for the Sharks to close the scoring.
Lind and Hogan, who recently represented Saskatchewan at the Canada Winter Games, each added two assists during three-point outings. Crystal Wale, Ashlee Wolfe, and Mccleary also added assists.
Giraudier made 19 saves in the win. Haylie Biever took the loss with 34 saves.
Friday, the Wildcats took a stranglehold on the series with a 6-1 win over the host Battlefords Sharks. The Wildcats won the special teams battle for a second straight game when they finished two-for-three on the man-advantage and killed off all five shorthanded situations.
The game was tied 1-1 after only 1:52, but the Wildcats broke it open with the final three goals of the first period for a commanding 4-1 lead.
Lind led the Wildcats with two goals and one assist, while Kirwan assisted on three consecutive goals. Kendall scored twice for a second straight game and Wolfe added a pair of assists.
Brooklyn Rublee and Wale also scored, while Ryleigh White added an assist.
Giraudier earned the win with 20 saves. Biever took the loss with 21 saves.
Sunday, the Wildcats closed out the series when Kirwan scored 2:22 into overtime when she knocked home a loose puck on the power play for a 2-1 victory.
The Wildcats had taken the lead early in the second period with a power play goal from Lind. The Sharks forced overtime with a late goal from Fendelet.
Harper Davey earned the win with 20 saves. Kendall, Mccleary, White, and Rublee all added assists.
“I think that we played pretty good,” said Lind of the series. “We clutched up when we needed to lots of the times. We played pretty smart lots of the time. We got pucks out, we got pucks on net, and we drove the net really hard. We were a hard team to play overall.”
The Wildcats will now face the Regina Rebels in the league semi-final, beginning on Saturday in Regina. Game two will be Sunday at 7:15 p.m. at Fairview West Arena.
“Yeah there’s definitely lots to clean up, there always is,” said Lind. “We want to make sure, our F2 wasn’t really good in driving today, so we want to make sure that we get that extra pressure on the D. We want to make sure that we bury on the open chances because we had a few open nets here today that we missed that probably we shouldn’t have had to go into overtime.”
Game three will be back in Regina on Tuesday. Game four, if necessary, would be Wednesday at 7:15 in Swift Current. A fifth and deciding game would be next Friday in Regina.