Monday 9 April 2018

A sweep return to Esso Cup for SFMAAAHL champion Stars

Clock strikes midnight on Selects’ “Cinderella” campaign

The Stars are going back to the Esso Cup. (Photo courtesy Jason Schneider)
    The Saskatoon Stars offensive firepower proved to be too much for the Eastman Selects to handle.
    The Stars swept a best-of-three Western regional playdown series between the two clubs 2-0 over the weekend at the T.G. Smith Centre in Steinbach, Man. The Stars claimed Game 1 on Friday night 7-0 and closed out the series with a 6-2 victory in Game 2 on Saturday.
    With the series victory, the Stars advance to the six-team Esso Cup national female midget AAA championship tournament to be held April 22 to 28 in Bridgewater, N.S. This will mark the third time over the last four years the Stars have advanced to the Esso Cup. They won a bronze medal at the 2015 tournament in Red Deer, Alta., and finished fourth at the 2016 tournament in Weyburn, Sask.
    In the series with the Selects, the Stars entered as the favourites finishing first in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League with a 24-3-1 regular season record. They advanced through the SFMAAAHL playoffs win a 6-0 record.
    The Selects, who are based out of Ste. Anne, Man., finished fifth in the seven team Manitoba Female AAA Midget Hockey League with a 13-12-5 record. They proceeded to roll off three upset best-of-five series victories to capture the MFMHL title for the first time in team history.
    In quarter-final series, the Selects swept the Shoal Lake based Yellowhead Chiefs 3-0, and the Chiefs were 14-10-6 in regular season play. In a semifinal series, the Selects got past the Winnipeg Avros 3-1, and the Avros topped the MFMHL standings with a 25-5 record.
    In the MFMHL finals, the Selects faced the defending league champion Pembina Valley Hawks, who are based out of Morden. The Hawks finished second in the MFMHL with a 20-8-2 record. On the strength of a pair of overtime victories to close out the series, the Selects prevailed 3-1 to capture the Manitoba championship.
Captain Mackenna Parker scored three goals for the Stars this past weekend.
    Saskatoon received goals from five different players in their 7-0 victory in Game 1 on Friday. Captain Mackenna Parker and Grace Shirley each scored twice, while Kaitlin Jockims, Calli Arnold and Jordyn Gerlitz each netted singles. Jordan Ivanco made 13 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Stars.
    Raygan Kirk stopped 15-of-19 shots fired her way starting in goal for the Selects before being pulled after the first period. Meagan Relf turned away 28-of-31 shots playing the rest of the way in relief.
    In Saturday’s 6-2 victory by the Stars in Game 2, Anna Leschyshyn scored twice for Saskatoon, while Jockims, Parker, Kianna Dietz and Jayda Sachs had singles. Ivanco turned away 17 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Stars.
    Chelsea Dinnin and Samantha Christensen replied with singles for the Selects. Kirk turned away 39 shots going the distance taking the setback in goal for the Selects.
    The Stars have nine players on their roster remaining from the team’s 2016 appearance in the Esso Cup including Ivanco, Dana Wood, Leschyshyn, Parker, Dietz, Shirley, Gerlitz, Joelle Fiala and Jordyn Holmes. Their experience is expected to be key for the squad going forward.
    Besides capturing the Lanchbery Family Trophy as Western regional playdown series winners, the Stars honoured the Humboldt Broncos of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League on Saturday wearing green and gold tape on their skates and sticks. The junior A Broncos’ team bus was involved in a tragic accident on Friday with a semi-trailer truck, and 15 people on the bus died as a result.

    The Selects raised $700 for the GoFundMe account to support the Broncos.


    If you have any comments you would like to pass along about this post, feel free to email them to stankssports@gmail.com.
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