Saturday, 20 March 2021

Sudden NCAA title victory for Shirley sisters, Badgers

Hobson and Huskies fall in heartbreaker

Sisters Sophie and Grace Shirley experienced the definition of “sudden victory” with the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team.

For Prince Albert product Brooke Hobson, she had to digest a heartbreaking loss as captain of the Northeastern University Huskies.

On Saturday, the Badgers and Huskies collided in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I women’s hockey championship game at the Erie Insurance Arena in Erie, Pennsylvania. The two sides went to overtime locked in a 1-1 draw and the deciding goal was seemingly scored out of nowhere.

At the 3:16 mark of the extra session, Badgers superstar left-winger Daryl Watts took the puck down behind the Northeastern goal. From behind the net, Watts, who is a Toronto, Ont., product, proceeded to bank the puck off a Huskies defender and netminder Aerin Frankel into the Northeastern goal.

It was a slick play only Watts and a handful of others could make. In 134 career NCAA games with both the Boston College Eagles and the Badgers, Watts has piled up 108 goals and 132 assists for 240 points. She won the Patty Kazmaier Award as the top player in NCAA women’s hockey for the 2017-18 campaign.

Sophie and Grace Shirley after a Stars title win in 2015.
Watts’s tally gave the Badgers a 2-1 victory and their sixth NCAA title in program history. The Badgers six NCAA titles equals the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers for the most all-time NCAA championships in women’s hockey.

The first NCAA women’s hockey title was awarded in 2001.

Badgers head coach Mark Johnson has guided Wisconsin to all six NCAA titles becoming the all-time wins leader for NCAA women’s hockey in the process.

The Badgers have won the NCAA crown the last two times it was awarded including Saturday’s OT win and in 2019. The2020 NCAA women’s hockey championship tournament was cancelled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has gripped the world.

The Huskies were trying to win their first NCAA crown in their first appearance in the NCAA championship game.

The Shirley sisters, who are alums of their hometown Saskatoon Stars female under-18 AAA team, got to soak in sudden win.

Sophie, who is a right-winger in her junior season, experienced a second NCAA title win with the Badgers. Grace got to experience her first NCAA championship victory as a sophomore forward.

Hobson, who is an alumna of her hometown Prince Albert Northern Bears female AAA under-18 team, had to digest a defeat as a senior defender that ultimately no one on her side could be faulted on. Saturday marked just the fourth time the NCAA women’s hockey final was decided in overtime.

Sophie Shirley in action for the Stars in 2015.
In Saturday’s NCAA title game, the goaltenders dominated the majority of the contest. Senior netminder Kennedy Blair made 23 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Badgers (17-3-1).

Frankel, who is in her senior season, stopped 35 shots to take the setback in goal for the Huskies (22-2-1).

The Huskies failed to score on four power-play chances, and the Badgers were unable to cash in on their one power-play opportunity.

The Huskies had won 18 straight games heading into Saturday’s title tilt and were the top ranked team in NCAA women’s hockey.

The Badgers entered Saturday’s championship game as the second ranked team in NCAA women’s hockey.

Over the first two periods of Saturday’s battle, Blair and Frankel slammed door in front of their respective goals to keep their sides locked in a 0-0 tie.

The Badgers finally broke through at the 11-minute mark of the third period. Badgers freshman right-winger Makenna Webster fired home the rebound of a shot taken by linemate Casey O’Brien to put Wisconsin up 1-0.

Grace Shirley in action for the Stars in 2018-19.
Just 39 seconds later, the Huskies evened things up at 1-1. Hobson got the puck to the lower left corner of the Wisconsin zone to Northeastern centre Alina Mueller.

Mueller slipped the puck over to junior left-winger Chloe Aurard inside the left faceoff circle. Aurard blew home the equalizer to top right corner of the Wisconsin goal.

That set the stage for the overtime dramatics, where Watts netted the winner.

For the Shirley sisters, this marked the second time they got to enjoy a championship playing together. When the Stars won their first Saskatchewan Female Under-18 AAA Hockey League title in 2014-15, Sophie was a star 15-year-old centre on that team, while Grace was a 13-year-old associate player call up.

Grace was healthy scratch the night the Stars captured their first SFU18AAAHL title.

Following that season, Sophie moved on to play with two different academy programs and one CWHL season with the Calgary Inferno before joining the Badgers. Grace remained with the Stars helping them win SFU18AAAHL championship in 2016, 2018 and 2019.

Brooke Hobson in action with the Bears in 2017.
Hobson captained the Bears to a SFU18AAAHL title in 2017.

Saturday’s game concluded an NCAA women’s hockey season that many weren’t sure would get completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Badgers had to cancel their last six games scheduled for this past December after a COVID-19 outbreak on the team. Media reports stated at least six Badgers players test positive for the virus.

The Wisconsin side returned after New Year’s Day and hit top stride on their way to winning the NCAA title.

Sophie appeared in all of the Badgers 21 games collecting 12 goals and 13 assists for 25 points to go with a plus-18 rating in the plus-minus department. In 98 career NCAA games, she has 61 goals and 63 assists for 124 points.

Grace skated in all of the Badgers 21 games posting two goals and one assist and a plus-two rating.

Hobson has made her mark as one of the Huskies all-time greats thanks to her skill as an offensive defender. In 128 career games with the Huskies, Hobson has 41 goals and 45 assists for 86 points.

She appeared in all of the Huskies 25 games this season posting two goals, 15 assists and a plus-33 rating.

Hobson could potentially return to the Huskies for a fifth season. The NCAA has ruled the 2020-21 campaign won’t count as eligibility used for players that take part in that season due to the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overall, the Shirley sisters and Hobson continue to make Saskatchewan proud. For Saskatchewan’s hockey community, Saturday’s NCAA women’s hockey final was a great day.

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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