Selects victorious in first two playoff games
The Northern Subway Selects won the first two games of their best-of-five playoff series against the East Hants Pro-Cresting Penguins on home ice this weekend.
An overtime goal from Katie Pentz on the power play gave the Selects the win on Saturday night at the Pictou County Wellness Centre.
Assistant coach Steve Halliday said the Midget AAA team had a great start in game one with a goal from Mariah Linehan, assisted by Jensen Arsenault and Taylor MacKenzie, but great goaltending by East Hants kept the Selects from scoring any more in regulation.
The Penguins tied up the game in the second period, and no goals were scored in the third. Maddie Quinn and Sophia Wornell got the assists on Pentz’s game-winning goal. “After we scored, East Hants had a great pushback and our own goaltending kept us in the game. We got into some penalty trouble in the third and that hurt us.
“Fortunately our penalty killing was very good. Our power play looked great in overtime, allowing us to get the win,” said Halliday.
He said the Selects were more focused and in control of emotions for the second game on Sunday, which allowed them to win 9-2. The Selects scored twice on the power play, with goals coming from Quinn, Camryn Halliday, KJ Emery, Patti-Anne Tracey, Ashley Livingston, Linehan, MacKenzie, Jenna Reid and Pentz.
“The experience of game one helped our confidence, and we had an excellent push from start to finish. Our power play and penalty killing was great in both games. Getting nine different players in on the scoring attack shows the depth across our entire team,” said Halliday.
Lily Currie, who had the best goals against average in the league for the regular season, was in nets for the Selects for both games.
Halliday said the team will work hard at practices this week to prepare for next weekend’s games.
“Winning that third game is always the toughest in a fivegame series and we need to be prepared for a very hard push from the Pens.”
Finishing in second place in the regular season, just two points behind Metro Boston Pizza, earned the Selects home ice advantage in the series against the Penguins.
The Selects’ next games are scheduled for Friday night and Saturday afternoon in East Hants, and if necessary, back at the Pictou County Wellness Centre on Sunday afternoon.