Hackett sends Island representative to final

Gracie Hackett could not have picked a more opportune time to score her first goal of the season.

Hackett’s goal with 43 seconds remaining in regulation time lifted the Western Wind into a 3-3 tie with New Brunswick’s Northern Panthers from Miramichi on Saturday afternoon. Western won the game 4-3 in a shootout. Hackett’s goal, which came with an extra attacker on the ice, secured Western the necessary one point they needed to earn in the round-robin finale to advance to the Atlantic bantam AAA female hockey championship’s gold-medal game. The Panthers won the rematch against the Wind in Sunday’s final 3-1. Saturday morning, the Wind defeated Newfoundland and Labrador’s Eastern Ice Breakers 5-2.

Wind 4 Panthers 3

The Panthers took an early 3-1 lead in the final frame, but Marley Gaudet’s goal with 7:21 remaining brought the Wind to within one goal. Tianna Gallant (1-1), who scored in regulation time, and Hilarie Gaudet scored in the shootout while the Panthers were unable to beat Wind goaltender Madison McHugh on two attempts. McHugh finished with 23 saves.

Josee Gallant added an assist for Western.

Wind 5 Ice Breakers 2

Gaudet scored twice while Gallant (1-3), Belle Ashley (1-2) and Abby Hustler (1-1) also had big games offensively to lead the Wind. Kylie Campbell added an assist while Emma Smallman made 17 saves in notching the goaltending victory.

The Wind led 1-0 after the first period, and increased that margin to 4-1 following the second.