Ball finds home with Northern Bears in Prince Albert

Kate Ball was a perfect fit with the Prince Albert Northern Bears.

    Kate Ball and the Prince Albert Northern Bears ended up being a match made in heaven.

    Before the season started, the 15-year-old Saskatoon product was kicking tires looking for a female midget AAA team where she would have a chance to contribute in an offensive role. On a whim, she decided to attend a tryout camp with the Bears, and head coach Jeff Willoughby asked if she wanted to play.

    Ball had a choice of playing with either the Saskatoon Stars in her hometown and the Bears. With the Stars returning almost all of their key offensive players from the previous campaign, the skilled centre decided to go play for the Bears.

    “It has actually been so exciting,” said Ball. “I love my team. They are just all like really awesome.

    “The room is just filled with like positive. We’re all like really nice to each other. It is just like really great.”

Kate Ball celebrates a goal with Jasper Desmarais and Camryn Amundson.

    With the Bears, Ball, who stands 5-foot-5, had a spectacular rookie season finishing second in team scoring with 15 goals and 15 assists in 28 regular season games. Prince Albert finished with its best record in team history going 22-6.

    In the post-season, the Bears won their first 11 straight contests sweeping the Stars in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship series in three games and taking out Hartney, Man., based Westman Wildcats in a two-game sweep in a Western regional playdown series in Prince Albert.

    Those victories allowed the Bears to earn a berth in the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament for the first time in team history. The Esso Cup started on Sunday and runs to Saturday in Morden, Man.

Kate Ball (#21) battles for the puck behind the net in the offensive zone.

    While big goals were established on personal and team fronts before the season started, Ball was still a bit awestruck that those goals were realized.

    “I wasn’t expecting myself to do that good,” said Ball. “I guess just really good teammates just helped me a lot.

    “I actually never thought we would like come this far. I am just so proud of my team coming this far. It is just an amazing feeling.”

    Willoughby said the Bears were fortunate Ball decided to come to Prince Albert to play.

    “She’s been playing very consistent for us,” said Willoughby. “We’ve asked her to play an offensive role, and she jumped right into that.

    “She is always around the puck. She definitely knows where the net is. Her effort she has given is second to none.

    “Getting a point a game as a rookie is a pretty outstanding feet.”

Kate Ball, left, enjoys the Bears SFMAAAHL title win.

    Willoughby said it was cool seeing Ball improve on the ice and off the ice. Away from the game, the bench boss was impressed with how quickly Ball found a high comfort level with the rest of her Bears teammate.

    “At the start of the year, I think she was maybe a little bit to herself and shy like a lot of rookies would be,” said Willoughby. “I think she’s come along.

    “She’s really opened up. I think she is no different than the rest of them. They are all such good teammates, and they care about each other, and they care about what the other person is doing.

    “They want to help each other out, and that is exactly what Kate (Ball) has been doing.”

    Ball’s move to the Bears was also made easier by the fact nine other players from the Saskatoon area were also on the team. The Bears roster contains fellow Saskatoon products Jadyn Kushniruk, Kassidy Kicia, Kate Wagner, Sierra Parenteau, Hannah Koroll and Miranda Heidt.

    Also on the team are Warman products Jordan Ashe and Jasper Desmarais and Martensville’s Story Navrot.

Kate Ball cuts into the offensive zone for the Bears.

    Ball said she actually knew more players on the Bears than she did on the Stars due a lot to her experiences playing spring hockey. On the ice, she found magic playing on a line with Desmarais and speedy Debden product Camryn Amundson.

    “I’ve played with Jasper for four years, so we have like good chemistry,” said Ball. “Camryn, me and her just like clicked right away, so it was really great.”

    As for her start in the sport, Ball followed in the footsteps of her two older brothers Daylon and Justin. Daylon, who is now 21, finished his competitive playing days at age 16.

    Justin was with the Saskatoon Contacts last season, who played in the Telus Cup midget AAA national championship tournament, and he recently finished his 18-year-old rookie season in junior A with the Melfort Mustangs of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League.

    Kate’s brothers weren’t her only family members that made waves as competitive athletes. Her uncle Sheldon was a star quarterback first with the Saskatoon Hilltops and then the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. He has been the offensive coordinator of the Hilltops for the past 11 seasons.

Kate Ball piled up 30 points in 28 regular season games with the Bears.

    While she has had a lot of good influences to help her along in hockey, Ball found her own love for the sport.

    “I love skating,” said Ball. “Skating is my passion. I just love it.

    “I like the playmaking. It is just really fun.”

    Ball admitted beating the Stars in the SFMAAAHL championship series was a big highlight this season along with winning the Western regional over the Wildcats with a thrilling come-from-behind 7-6 series clinching victory in Game 2. The Bears were down 6-3 with 13:24 to play in the third period and closed the contest with four unanswered goals.

    She was pumped to go to Esso Cup and is also looking forward to playing two more seasons with the Bears. 

Kate Ball, left, and her teammates enjoy the Bears Western regional win.

    This season she continued to live in Saskatoon, and her parents drove to her to Prince Albert for practices and her games.

    Next season, Ball is planning to live with a billet family in Prince Albert.

    “I’m actually real excited to think about two more years,” said Ball. “I just love this group of girls and just being here. I think it will be good.”

    After her midget AAA playing days are done, Ball has a wish of where she would like to play on the post-secondary front.

    “Hopefully, I get to play with University of Saskatchewan, because it is like a mile from my house,” said Ball. “That would be really convenient.

    “If that doesn’t work out, then NCAA or college in the States that would be really good too.”

Bears pick up first win at Esso Cup

Camryn Amundson (#9) scored twice for the Bears on Tuesday at Esso Cup.

    On Tuesday in Morden, Man., the Bears picked up their first win at Esso Cup dumping the Summerside, P.E.I., based Mid-Isle Wildcats 6-1 at the Access Events Centre.

    Camryn Amundson and Jadyn Kushniruk both scored twice for the Bears, while Story Navrot and Miranda Heidt each netted singles. Ryan Fontaine turned away 13 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Bears.

    Madison Vincent had the lone reply for the Wildcats. Maggie Johnson turned away 57 shots to take the loss in goal for the Wildcats.

    The win allowed the Bears to improve to 1-2, while the Wildcats fell to 0-3.

    The Bears opened the Esso Cup on Sunday falling 2-1 to the host and Manitoba champion Pembina Valley Hawks. On Monday, the Bears dropped a 5-1 decision to the Pickering, Ont., based Durham West Lightning.

    Prince Albert returns to action on Wednesday taking on the Alberta-based St. Albert Slash. The Bears close their round robin schedule at Esso Cup on Thursday, when they face the Sherbrooke, Que., based Harfangs du Triolet.

    The top four teams in the round robin standings qualify for the playoff round. The semifinal round for the Esso Cup is set for Friday. The bronze and gold medal games will be held on Saturday.

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

Impressive epic comeback sends Bears to first Esso Cup

Prince Albert erases three-goal deficit in thrilling 7-6 victory

The Prince Albert Northern Bears celebrate their Western regional win.

    PRINCE ALBERT - In a comeback worthy of the Edmonton Oilers teams of the 1980s, the Prince Albert Northern Bears are bound for the Esso Cup for the first time in team history.

    On Saturday night at the Art Hauser Centre, the Bears trailed the Hartney, Man., based Westman Wildcats 6-3 with 13:24 to play in the third period in Game 2 of a female midget AAA Western regional playdown series. It appeared the Wildcats were going to force the best-of-three set to a series deciding Game 3, which would have been played on Sunday.

    Cue the comeback. The Bears rallied back with four straight goals to pull out a 7-6 victory and sweep the series 2-0 to capture The Lanchbery Family Trophy.

Brooklyn Anderson (#7) scored the series winning goal for the Bears.

    Forward Brooklyn Anderson tipped home a point shot from defender Jordan Ashe for the game and series winning tally with two minutes to play in the third.

    With the win, the Bears earned a berth to the Esso Cup female midget AAA national championship tournament, which runs April 23 to 29 in Morden, Man.

    “It feels amazing,” said Anderson. “I know the team was really excited to get there.

    “We weren’t losing this. We wanted to get there, and we got there, so that is awesome.

    “I saw Jordan (Ashe) had it on the point, and I knew that I just needed to get in front of the net. It is exactly what I did, and it just went off my stick and in.”

    Anderson’s goal concluded what was a wild shootout of a contest. The Wildcats scored on their first two shots of the game to go ahead 2-0, but the Bears stormed back to take a 3-2 edge early in the second.

Ashton Bell, right, scored twice for the Wildcats.

    The visitors proceed to score four straight to go ahead 6-3, but the host Bears never gave up.

    At the 7:38 mark of the third, Bears forward Miranda Heidt slipped a pass across the front of the Westman goal to Prince Albert captain Brooke Hobson. Hobson potted the first tally in the rally to cut the Wildcats edge to 6-4.

    With 7:54 to play in the third, Hobson blasted home a point shot for her second goal of the game to pull the Bears to within 6-5. The hosts tied the contest with a power-play goal from star forward Abby Soyko with 3:13 remaining in the third. That set the stage for Anderson’s winner.

    “I just can’t believe the determination of these girls,” said Bears head coach Jeff Willoughby. “That is all it comes down to is their determination and want. It is incredible.”

Kate Ball breaks into the offensive zone for the Bears.

    Kate Ball, Camryn Amundson and Story Navrot also had singles for the Bears, while Brooklyn Elek made 24 stops to pick up the win in goal.

    Josee Casavant and Ashton Bell, who was the captain of Canada’s under-18 national women’s team, each scored twice for the Wildcats, while Camryn Clyne and Haley Wickham had singles. Kaitlyn Slator turned away 19 shots to take the loss in goal for the Wildcats.

    The Bears took Game 1 of the series 6-4 on Friday at the Art Hauser Centre. Willoughby, whose favourite NHL team happens to be the Oilers, was amazed the Bears and Wildcats combined to score 23 goals in two games considering playoff games at the female midget AAA level are usually tight 3-2 or 2-1 contests.

    “Both teams kind of just let it loose,” said Willoughby. “It was kind of run and gun and fun to play in and fun to coach. I’m sure all the fans got more than their money’s worth here.

Captain Brooke Hobson sparked the Bears rally with a pair of goals.

    “It was incredible to coach in I will say that first of all. There was lots of intensity on the bench.

    “The girls didn’t get down too low, didn’t get up too high. It was very good.”

    Hobson, who was also a member of Canada’s under-18 national women’s team, was proud of how her Bears rose to the challenge to rally back in Saturday’s series clincher.
    The 17-year-old defender said she went hard on the celebration of her first goal that started the rally to get her side fired up, and she believed the tactic worked.

    Playing in her final season of midget eligibility, Hobson was elated she will finally get to go to the Esso Cup in her fifth and last trip through the midget AAA post-season.
    Going into Esso Cup, the Bears are a perfect 11-0 in the post-season, and they have won 15 straight including action in the regular season.

The Bears pose for a team picture after winning the Western regional series.

    “It is an unbelievable feeling here we have here tonight,” said Hobson. “We’re definitely going to be looking forward to this in the next couple of weeks.

    “I’ve been waiting for this my whole five years, so now it has finally come, and it is pretty awesome. We have to keep the momentum going, and I think everything should turn out very good.”

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

The dream is alive like in 2009 for Prince Albert Northern Bears

Stars face elimination in SFMAAAHL championship series

Abby Soyko pats Camryn Amundson on the head.

    PRINCE ALBERT - Often the difference in a championship series is who can come through in the clutch, and Prince Albert Northern Bears forward Camryn Amundson is proving to be a clutch player.

    With the Bears locked in a 1-1 tie with the visiting Saskatoon Stars just over seven minutes into the second period in Game 2 of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship series, the 16-year-old product from Debden, Sask., came through with the key play that made the difference in the game. 

    While the Bears were killing a penalty, Amundson got in deep on the forecheck in the Saskatoon zone, caused a turnover, and wired home a short-handed goal that Stars netminder Arden Kliewer had no chance on.

    That goal gave the Bears a 2-1 victory a very vocal and appreciative crowd at the Art Hauser Centre. The Stars could never find the equalizer from that point despite their best efforts, which included a frantic scramble in front of the Prince Albert net with about a minute remaining in the third period.

    The victory also gave Prince Albert a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League championship series.

Camryn Amundson (#9) battle Willow Slobodzian  (#20) for the puck.

    The Stars, who have won the SFMAAAHL title in each of the last two years, will try to avoid elimination in Game 3 back at the Agriplace Arena in Saskatoon on Tuesday at 7 p.m.

    Prince Albert will be attempting to its second league championship. The Bears last championship win came back in 2009.

    Amundson, who was named the SFMAAAHL’s most sportsmanlike player this season, was also money in two critical moments during the Bears 5-1 victory in Game 1 of the league title series on Thursday in Saskatoon. In that contest, the speedy forward set up Story Navrot’s game-winning short-handed goal.

    Later in that same contest, Amundson fired home a knuckleball shot that gave her team a 4-1 lead and solid command of that contest leading to a 5-1 win.

    Sunday’s Game 2 clash in Prince Albert was fairly evenly played with a few momentum swings. At the 7:51 mark of the opening frame, the Bears opened the scoring when star centre Abby Soyko netted a power-play goal.

Stars centre Kianna Dietz (#12) puts a backhand shot on goal.

    The Stars answered back 93 seconds later with an even strength point-shot goal from Chace Sperling to force a 1-1 tie.

    Saskatoon had two huge chances to go ahead before the opening frame ended. First, centre Kianna Dietz had a close in backhand opportunity, but she was robbed by Bears netminder Brooklyn Elek.

    A short time later, Stars forward Anna Leschyshyn broke in alone on the Prince Albert goal, but Elek turned away her drive as well.

    Early in the second, Dietz rang a shot off the post of the Prince Albert goal. That set the stage for Amundson to net the winner minutes later.

Centre Abby Soyko brings the puck up ice for the Bears.

    Kliewer had a solid outing making 21 saves to take the loss in goal for the Stars. Elek turned away 18 shots to pick up the win in net for the Bears.

    If the Stars came back to rally for three straight wins to take the SFMAAAHL title, they would be only the second club in the 11-year history of the league to accomplish that feat.

    Prince Albert is the only team in the history of the SFMAAAHL to rally back down 2-0 in the best-of-five league final to take the series 3-2. The Bears pulled that off in 2009 against the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats.

    The Stars have the players who have a history of making plays in the clutch to give them the ability to rally back. Saskatoon needs their standouts to come through, or the Bears will be bringing the Fedoruk Cup back to “Hockey Town North.”

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

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.