After further review, Soyko gets Bears career points record

Abby Soyko, right, and the Bears celebrate an OT win on Saturday.

    BATTLEFORD, Sask. – Abby Soyko was prepared to wait for another day to capture the Prince Albert Northern Bears career regular season points record.

    On Saturday night, the Bears were locked in a 2-2 tie with an inspired Battlefords Sharks side at the Battleford Arena in a second five-minute overtime period in Battleford. The visiting Bears were awarded a power-play opportunity in that frame.

    Working with an extra skater, Soyko blasted a shot on the Sharks net, which was tipped home by linemate Kate Ball to give the Bears a 3-2 victory in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League regular season clash.
    Assisting on Ball’s goal would allow Soyko to become the Bears all-time leader in career regular season points.

    Originally, the lone assist on Ball’s tally was given to Bears rookie forward Lauren Willoughby, who wasn’t on the ice and isn’t part of the Bears power-play unit.

Abby Soyko tops the Bears in career regular season points.

    After hearing the goal announcement over the public address system, Soyko skated to the on ice officials and meekly told them she was the one that took the shot that Ball deflected into the Sharks goal for the overtime winner.

    The Bears captain wasn’t too sure how the officials were receiving what she said. Knowing the night had been a long one with the game going into a second overtime period and a lengthy delay due to an injury to Sharks defender Keera Tiringer, Soyko decided to not press too hard on getting an assist on Ball’s overtime winner.

    At game’s end, Soyko was aware the online scoresheet had Willoughby assisting on Ball’s extra time goal and was genuinely alright with that development. Showing no disappointment during a post-game interview, Soyko said the off-ice volunteers that keep track of the scoresheets and the on-ice officials work hard trying to ensure they get everything right.

    She didn’t want to be “that” person that got on their case for making a mistake, because mistakes happen as everyone is human.

    “I know that happens a lot and people get super upset,” said Soyko. “I can just get it back (in Sunday’s) game or whatever and just move on.”

Kate Ball scored the overtime winner for the Bears on Saturday.

    The Bears and Sharks are slated to go at it again on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the Battleford Arena, but as it turns out, Soyko won’t have to wait to play in that contest to capture the Bears all-time career regular season points record.

    After the Prince Albert side left the rink late Saturday night, it appeared the on-ice officials did hear what Soyko told them after the contest. A change was made on the scoresheet and Soyko was correctly given the lone assist on Ball’s overtime winner.

    With that assist, Soyko, who will turn 17-years-old near the end of this month, became the Bears all-time leader in career regular season points at 102. She piled up those points on 53 goals and 49 assists in 111 career regular season games.

Haylie Biever made 50 saves on Saturday for the Sharks.

    Soyko passed the old mark of 101 points held by Kelly Regnier. Regnier, who is from St. Louis, Sask., recorded her 101 points on 50 goals and 51 assists playing 83 career regular season games between 2010 and 2013.

    Actually, Soyko drove home the Bears first goal of the contest on Saturday at the 3:42 mark of the third period from the front of the Sharks net. That tally was awarded to Bears defender Tobi Fontaine, who was on the ice positioned beside the right boards in the Battlefords zone.

    Soyko said she didn’t hear that goal announcement and wasn’t aware the tally was given to Fontaine until the end of the contest. The SFMAAAHL doesn’t review video to correct goals and assists, and it is up to the players on the ice to make the officials aware that a mistake might have been made.

    The Bears were down 2-0 at the time their first tally went into the Sharks goal to cut Battlefords’ lead to 2-1, and Soyko was focused on trying to spark a comeback.

Miranda Heidt, right, fired home the equalizer for the Bears.

    “It is alright,” said Soyko, who stands 5-foot-5. “A win is a win. It doesn’t matter who puts the puck in the net.”

    Soyko said she believe her team came into Saturday’s game thinking that success was just going to happen due to the fact the Sharks have struggled in recent years in the SFMAAAHL. She was more concerned about that development.

    Saturday’s clash happened to be the regular season opener for the Sharks, and they transition up the ice quickly and played a sound team game. The hosts jumped ahead 2-0 on a first period single from Brooklyn Rowley and a second period single from Madison Sansom.

Nicole Girolami controls the puck in the defensive zone for the Sharks.

    “We just came into the game thinking we were just going to walk all over them, and that is never a good mindset to go into a game,” said Soyko, who is in her fifth and final season with the Bears. “There are still 20 other girls on the other team that want to do the same as you, and that is to win a hockey game.

    “(On Sunday), we just need to come and compete better than them. They definitely improved from last year, and that is good for them. We need to just be better and play to our level.”

    After the Bears cut the Sharks lead to 2-1, it seemed like the rally was going to stall. With 12:09 to play in the third period, Bears winger Jasper Desmarais drove Tiringer into the boards with a hard hit.

    Tiringer was down on the ice for a lengthy stretch before being taken to hospital on a stretcher. Her injury was bad enough that the officials sent the two teams to their respective dressing rooms until she was taken off the ice.

Paris Oleksyn (#11) breaks into the offensive zone for the Bears.

    Tiringer’s status wasn’t known by game’s end.

    Desmarais was accessed a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct. The play will likely be reviewed by the SFMAAAHL for a possible suspension.

    The Bears killed off the major penalty. With 6:17 to play in the third period, Bears 17-year-old forward Miranda Heidt drove home the equalizer to the top left corner of the Sharks goal to tie things up at 2-2 and ultimately force overtime.

    After a scoreless five minute overtime period of four-on-four play, Ball got her power-play winner on a second five-minute overtime period with three-on-three play.

Sharks D Keera Tiringer left Saturday’s game due to injury.

    Lexi Beuker made 27 stops to pick up the win in goal for the Bears, who improved to 3-0. Haylie Biever was spectacular in the Sharks goal turning away 50 shots.

    “It was kind of a different game obviously with the 2-0 lead that they had and our slow comeback,” said Bears head coach Jeff Willoughby. “I thought we got better as the game went on.

    “Obviously with the injury and everyone was off the ice for about 20 minutes, it was a little different feel for the game.”

    Willoughby said Desmarais was very distraught over the fact Tiringer left the game on a stretcher.

    “I know our player was upset that was involved with the collision,” said Willoughby. “She doesn’t feel good about it either.

    “I hope (Keera) Tiringer is OK and has a good recovery.”

    Willoughby was pleased with Soyko’s play on Saturday.

    “We expect Abby (Soyko) to lead this team,” said Willoughby. “She sets a good example just walking around.

Abby Soyko (#19) has 102 career regular season points for the Bears.

    “Just in the room, she is a good example. She has been here for five years. She knows how to get things done.

    “She has playoff experience. She has played in a lot of tough games, lots of tough situations even as a young player. She is just a leader on and off the ice for us, so it has been excellent.”

    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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Bears impress in Game 1 win

Stars forced to regroup in SFMAAAHL championship series

The Bears celebrate a second period goal from Camryn Amundson.

    It appears the Prince Albert Northern Bears are ready to end the Saskatoon Stars quest for the three-peat.

    On Thursday at the Agriplace Arena, the Bears took Game 1 of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship series by a decisive 5-1 score over the host Stars.
    The Stars enter the best-of-five series looking to win their third straight Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League title, but during their run of success, the Bears have always seemed to be the club that forces the Saskatoon side to reset.

    The Stars will have to do just that when the series shifts to Prince Albert for Game 2 on Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre. 

Grace Shirley gave the Stars an early 1-0 lead on Thursday night.

    During the regular season, the Stars and Bears split their four head-to-head encounters, but they haven’t met since Dec. 14, 2017, when the Stars claimed a 3-0 victory at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert. Saskatoon finished first in the SFMAAAHL with a 25-2-1 record, and Prince Albert was second with a 22-6 mark.

    For those that saw Thursday’s clash, they saw a Bears team hit the ice that was pretty much a mirror image of the Stars.
    Prince Albert rolled out four good forward lines, a solid group of six defenders and received sound goaltending from Ryan Fontaine.

    Speedy forward Camryn Amundson likely turned the most heads out of the Prince Albert bunch netting a goal and an assist in the win, but it wasn’t one or two star players from the Bears that burned the Stars. It seemed like everyone on the Prince Albert side contributed in the win.

Camryn Amundson slips home a knuckleball shot for the Bears.

    The Bears played with sound structure, and they also played calm and under control game. What makes the Bears an even tougher opponent is the fact they have a good team culture and credit for that has to be given to head coach Jeff Willoughby and his staff for that.

    When the Bears play, it is easy to find an alum or two in the stands who consider Willoughby like having another father. Those words come from former players other than his two extremely talented daughters Kaitlin and Morgan who star for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team.

    For the Stars, this visit to the SFMAAAHL championship series will be harder to win than when they won it all in each of the past two years. This Prince Albert team is better than the one Saskatoon swept out of the SFMAAAHL title series in 2015.

Stars netminder Jordan Ivanco holds back pressure from the Bears.

    With all that in mind, the Stars got out to a good jump in Game 1. Just 75 seconds in, standout forward Grace Shirley wired home a shot to the top left corner of the Prince Albert goal to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.

    Just before the midway point of an evenly played first period, 15-year-old forward Miranda Heidt potted the equalizer for the Bears to force a 1-1 tie.

    Early in the second, the Stars had a big chance to jump back out in front, when forward Brooke Hausermann was stopped trying to shovel in a short-handed marker at the side of the Prince Albert goal.

    Shortly after that opportunity, the game turned when Bears forward Story Navrot potted a short-handed goal to put the visitors up 2-1. Just 2:05 later, standout 15-year-old rookie forward Kate Ball scored to put the Bears up 3-1.

Forward Sierra Parenteau (#10) fires a backhand shot on goal for the Bears.

    The Bears weren’t done just yet. With 4:05 to play in the second, Amundson scored on a knuckleball shot to give Prince Albert a 4-1 edge.
    Underage 14-year-old forward Brooklyn Anderson rounded out the scoring for the visitors in the third and Fontaine made 29 stops to pick up the win in goal.

    Jordan Ivanco turned away 23 shots to take the loss in goal for the Stars.

    Both teams failed to score on the power play, with the Bears going 0-for-5 and the Stars 0-for-7.

    Despite being down, the Stars did try to mount a comeback holding a 12-7 edge in shots on goal in the third period. Veteran centre Kianna Dietz had the best chance to score, when she misfired on a puck looking into an open Prince Albert cage early in the frame.

Kate Ball circles in the offensive zone for the Bears.

    The Stars don’t have to battle back from adversity often, but they have done that in the past.
    Last year, they dropped the opening game of the SFMAAAHL championship series 4-3 to the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats, but rallied to take the series with three straight wins.

    The adversity after Thursday’s loss to the Bears looms larger than last year’s loss to the Wildcats.

    Still, the Stars roster is filled with talent in the likes of captain Willow Slobodzian, Mackenna Parker, Grace Shirley, Abby Shirley, Joelle Fiala, Anna Leschyshyn and Julia Rongve.
    They have won in all sorts of circumstances that included going into rinks on the road that are filled with huge support for the opponent.

Willow Slobodzian works the point for the Stars.

    Guided by a first rate coaching staff headed by Greg Slobodzian, it would be highly unlikely to see the Stars fall again in Game 2 by a lopsided score.

    The Stars road to a three-peat will be a hard one, but if the three-peat is achieved, it will be that much more fulfilling.
    As one wise veteran hockey coach often told me in the past, if something was easy to do, everyone would do it.
    If you’re a good team, you want to play a tough opponent that has a good culture, because that makes you better.

    The Bears took round one, but this heavyweight tilt likely won’t be a short one.

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