Bears stay alive in post-season with Game 3 win over Hounds

Abby Soyko scored the winner for the Bears on Monday.

    The Prince Albert Northern Bears added at least 60 minutes of life to their 2018-19 season.

    On Monday at the Art Hauser Centre in Prince Albert, the Bears staved off elimination from the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League playoffs with a 3-2 victory in Game 3 of a best-of-five first round series with the Notre Dame Hounds. With the win, the Bears cut the Hounds lead in the series to 2-1.

    Notre Dame will have its next chance to wrap up the series hosting Game 4 on Wednesday at 8 p.m. at the Duncan McNeill Arena in Wilcox. If the Bears are able to win that contest, the two squads would meet in a series deciding Game 5 on Thursday at 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.

    The Hounds claimed Game 1 of the series by a 3-2 score last Thursday in Prince Albert, and took Game 2 by a 5-1 score last Saturday in Wilcox.

    In Monday’s encounter, the Bears took a 1-0 lead in the first period on a goal from Miranda Heidt. The hosts went up 2-0 when veteran forward Jasper Desmarais scored on the power play at the 6:57 mark of the second period.

    Before the second intermission rolled around, the Hounds cut the Bears lead to 2-1 on a goal from star forward Lyndsey Janes.

    At the 9:11 mark of the third period, star captain Abby Soyko put the Bears up 3-1 with a power-play goal.

    Jada Livingston scored for the Hounds with 6:10 remaining in the third period to cut the Bears lead to 3-2. Notre Dame was unable to net the equalizer from that point.

    Lexi Beuker turned away 15 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Bears, who were 17-9-2 during the regular season. Star netminder Kaitlyn Ross turned away 31 shots to take the setback in goal for the Hounds, who were 12-13-3 in the regular season.

    During the series, Soyko was named a second team SFMAAAHL all-star at forward. Bears forward Jadyn Kushniruk, who is playing her final season of midget AAA eligibility, was named the winner of the Carol Scheibel Top Scholastic Player award.

    The Bears off-ice crew of Dwight Sachkowski, Gary Schwan, Ron Wildey and Lloyd McBeath won the Esso Volunteer Award.

    The winner of this series will advance to face the defending SFMAAAHL champion Saskatoon Stars in a best-of-five semifinal series. The Stars finished first overall in the SFMAAAHL with a 27-1 record.

Wildcats sweep away Sharks in OT

Taylor Lind is the MVP of the SFMAAAHL.

    The Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats punched their into the SFMAAAHL semifinal round in dramatic fashion.

    On Sunday at the Fairview Arena in Swift Current, the Wildcats downed the Battlefords Sharks 2-1 in overtime in Game 3 of a best-of-five SFMAAAHL first round series. With the win, the Wildcats swept the best-of-five set 3-0.

    In the series clinching win, sophomore 15-year-old forward Baylee Kirwan scored the winner on a power play at the 2:22 mark in overtime to deliver the Wildcats to victory. Sara Kendall and Maddy McCleary picked up assists on the winning tally.

    Star captain Taylor Lind gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead scoring a power-play goal 40 seconds into the second period. Brooklyn Rublee and Ryleigh White had assists on Lind’s tally.

    Veteran forward Ensley Fendelet, who is playing her final season of midget AAA eligibility, potted the equalizer for the Sharks to force a 1-1 tie and overtime with 2:18 remaining in the third period.

    Harper Davey stopped 20 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Wildcats, who were 17-10-1 during the regular season. Haylie Biever turned away 37 shots to take the setback in goal for the Sharks, who were 11-13-4 in the regular season.

    The Wildcats are 14-1 including action in the regular season and playoffs since returning to play after the Christmas break.

    During the series with the Sharks, Lind was named the winner of the Hayley Wickenheiser Most Valuable Player award, a first team SFMAAAHL all-star at forward and formally received the Kelly Bechard Top Scorer award. Sharks captain Ali Aitken was named a second team SFMAAAHL all-star at forward.

    The Wildcats will face the Regina Rebels in a best-of-five SFMAAAHL semifinal series. Game 1 of that series is set for 4:45 p.m. at Saturday at the Co-operators Centre in Regina.

Rebels douse Prairie Fire in three games

Neena Brick is the top rookie of the SFMAAAHL.

    An offensive explosion allowed the Regina Rebels to sweep the Melville Prairie Fire out of the SFMAAAHL playoffs.

    On Sunday at the Co-operators Centre in Regina, the Rebels broke a 1-1 tie scoring three times in the third period to down the Prairie Fire 4-1 in Game 3 of a best-of-five SFMAAAHL first round series. With the win, the Rebels sweep the best-of-five set 3-0.

    Brooklyn Stevely gave the Rebels a 1-0 lead at the 2:29 mark of the first period. Samantha Thompson netted the equalizer for the Prairie Fire scoring on the power play at the 13:23 mark of the first period to force a 1-1 tie.

    Facing elimination, the Prairie Fire ensured the 1-1 score held up heading into the third period.

    The Rebels scored three times in the first 5:18 of the third to cement the final outcome. Neena Brick scored twice and Samantha Sichkaruk had a single in the Rebels three-goal surge.

    Payton Schlamp turned away 21 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Rebels, who were 17-7-4 during the regular season. Cheyenne Jamieson turned away 38 shots to take the setback in goal for Prairie Fire, who were 10-16-2 during the regular season.

    During the series, Brick was named the winner of the Dana Antal Top Rookie award, while Stevely was named a first team SFMAAAHL all-star defender.

    Prairie Fire veteran defender Allison Hayhurst was named a second team SFMAAAHL all-star. Melville head coach Casey O’Brien claimed the Shannon Miller and Wally Kozak Top Coach award.

    The Rebels advance to face the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats in a best-of-five SFMAAAHL semifinal series. Game 1 of that series is set for 4:45 p.m. at Saturday at the Co-operators Centre in Regina.

Canada just short of women’s hockey gold at Universiade

🇨🇦🥈 Medalist in Women’s 🏒 at @Krasnoyarsk2019.

Final is 2-0 for 🇷🇺.

3rd consecutive silver at Winter Universiade and 7 for 7 in Final Universiade games for #uCAN

4th 🏅 of this Universiade for 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/eGOHUwiWXK

— U SPORTS Team Canada (@USPORTSIntl) March 11, 2019

    A heroic 40 save performance from Jessica Vance wasn’t enough to capture a gold medal for Canada’s women’s hockey team at the FISU Winter Universiade in Krasnoyarsk, Russia.

    Vance, who is the star netminder for the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team, made 40 saves on Monday as Canada fell 2-0 to host Russia in the gold medal final at the Winter Universiade. Canada’s women’s hockey team captured a silver medal in each of the last three Winter Universiades.

    Thanks to Vance’s puck stopping, Canada and Russia entered the third period locked in a 0-0 tie. At the 6:53 mark of the third, Canada was given a delay of game penalty for shooting the puck over the glass while in the defensive zone.

    On the ensuing power play, Liana Ganeeva scored to give Russia a 1-0 lead. Alevtina Shtareva scored into an empty-net inside of the game’s final 15 seconds to seal a 2-0 win for the host side.

Nadezhda Morozova turned away 34 shots to pick up the shutout win in goal for Russia.

    Besides including Vance, the Canadian roster contained Leah Bohlken, who is a star defender for the Huskies, and Kaitlin Willoughby, who was the former star captain with the Huskies and now plays professionally for the Calgary Inferno of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League.

    Vance and Willoughby are both alums of the Prince Albert Northern Bears female midget AAA team. Before joining the Huskies, Bohlken spent time in the SFMAAAHL briefly with the Weyburn Richardson Pioneer Gold Wing and mainly with the Regina Rebels. She also played for the Notre Dame Hounds entry in the Junior Women’s Hockey League.

    Willoughby was the captain of the Canadian team and was a member of Canada’s women’s hockey team that won silver at the 2017 Winter Universiade in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

    With the conclusion of Monday’s gold medal game, the 2018-19 hockey seasons for Vance and Bohlken have come to an end as the Huskies were eliminated from the U Sports playoffs back on Feb. 23.

    Willoughby’s season still has one more game. She will join the Inferno to play for the Clarkson Cup to become CWHL champions on March 24 in Toronto against Les Canadiennes de Montreal. The Clarkson Cup is a one-game championship final.

    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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Rebels lock up second in SFMAAAHL in fierce series split with Bears in P.A.

P.A. captain Soyko heats up as regular season draws to close

The Rebels locked up second place in the SFMAAAHL.

    Regina Rebels locked up second place, while Prince Albert Northern Bears star captain Abby Soyko found a way to steal the show.

    The two powerhouse clubs from the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League engaged in and split a fierce two-game battle at the Kinsman Arena in Prince Albert on the weekend.

    On Friday night, the Bears jumped out to a 2-1 lead, but three straight second period goals by the Rebels swung the momentum of that contest. Regina took 4-2 lead thanks to that surge and ultimately posted a 4-3 victory.

    Hanna Bailey, Samantha Sichkaruk, Sydney Pedersen and Jordan Fry netted singles for the Rebels. Rhea Peterson, Brooklyn Anderson and Kate Ball replied with singles for the Bears. Soyko assisted on the Bears final two goals of the contest.

    Chantel Weller made 24 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Rebels. Scout Anderson turned away 40 shots to take the setback in goal for the Bears.

    That win by the Rebels allowed them to lock up second place in the SFMAAAHL.

Samantha Sichkaruk helped the Rebels lock up second place.

    On Saturday, Lauren Focht scored 52 seconds into the game to give the Rebels an early 1-0 lead.

Soyko responded for the Bears at the 6:09 mark of the first period to even things up at 1-1.

Pedersen and Kaylee Dyer proceeded to score for the Rebels before the opening frame ended to give Regina a 3-1 advantage.

    From there, the Bears started a progressive comeback. Soyko netted the only goal of the second to cut the Rebels lead to 3-2.

    With 59 seconds remaining in the third, Miranda Heidt recorded the equalizer to even things up at 3-3 and force overtime.

    In overtime, Soyko completed the hat trick to deliver the Bears to a 4-3 victory.

    Lexi Beuker turned away 36 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Bears. Payton Schlamp turned away 46 shots to take the setback in goal for the Rebels.

    On the weekend, the Bears wore special tribute jerseys for the Humboldt Broncos junior A team to pay respect for all those effected by the team’s bus crash on April 6, 2018. The jerseys will be auctioned off at the Bears first home playoff game in March in support of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League’s Mental Assistance Fund.

Abby Soyko was on fire for the Bears on the weekend.

    Soyko had a number of ties with those involved in the Broncos bus crash.

    With the results in those two games, the Rebels saw their record move to 17-6-4. They close the SFMAAAHL regular season by hosting the Notre Dame Hounds on Wednesday at 8 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre in Regina.

    The Bears saw their regular season come to a close with their weekend encounters with the Rebels. Prince Albert finishes the regular season with a 17-9-2 record.

    Soyko, who is playing her final season of midget AAA eligibility, posted 65 goals and 63 assists for 128 points in 136 regular season games played with the Bears over five seasons. The 17-year-old captain is the Bears all-time leader in regular season goals and points and shares the team career regular season assists record with former Bears captain Kaitlin Willoughby.
    Soyko is the ninth all-time leading scorer in the history of the SFMAAAHL in regular season play.

    Willoughby, who currently plays professionally with the Calgary Inferno of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, recorded 34 goals and 63 assists for 97 points playing in 96 career regular season games with the Bears from 2008 to 2013.
    The Rebels will face the Melville Prairie Fire in a best-of-five first round playoff series. The Bears will take on the Notre Dame Hounds in a best-of-five first round series. The SFMAAAHL playoffs are expected to start around March 7.

Captain Abby Soyko completed a three-goal night with an overtime winner Saturday as the Prince Albert Northern Bears split a weekend series with the Regina Rebels.

Now the Bears have to wait to find out their playoff opponent. https://t.co/HzLGQdisFG pic.twitter.com/yG9XqlxMYg

— Lucas Punkari (@lpunkari) February 17, 2019

Stars roll past Hounds

Captain Grace Shirley had a four-goal night for the Stars on Sunday.

    Saskatoon Stars are motoring into the SFMAAAHL playoffs riding a six-game winning streak.

Over the weekend, the Stars swept away the Notre Dame Hounds in a two game series at the Duncan McNeill Arena in Wilcox, Sask., to improve their winning streak to six games.

    On Saturday, the Stars blanked the Hounds 4-0 scoring all of their goals in the second period.

    Joelle Fiala scored twice for the Stars, while Alison Olorenshaw and Makena Kushniruk had singles. Arden Kliewer turned away 12 shots to pick up her seventh shutout win of the season in goal for the Stars.

    Kaitlyn Ross turned away 31 shots to take the setback in goal for the Hounds.

On Sunday, Stars star captain Grace Shirley scored four goals to power her side to a 6-0 victory. Chase Sperling and Anna Leschyshyn netted singles for the Stars.

    Rookie Kaitlyn Cadrain stopped 13 shots to pick up her third career SFMAAAHL shutout in goal for the Stars. Rayanne Mckenzie turned away 19 shots to take the setback in goal for the Hounds.

    The Stars top forwards in Shirley, Leschyshyn and Fiala are all playing out their final seasons of midget AAA eligibility.

    Shirley, who is the Stars captain, finishes up as the third all-time leading scorer in the history of the SFMAAAHL in regular season play. She collected 97 goals and 69 assists for 166 points in 107 regular season games. She is the Stars all-time leader in career regular season goals and points.

    Leschyshyn concludes regular season play as the fifth all-time leading scorer in the history of the SFMAAAHL. She recorded 72 goals and 80 assists for 152 points in 115 regular season games. Leschyshyn is just the fifth player in the history of the SFMAAAHL to record 80 or more career regular season assists.

Joelle Fiala became the Stars leader in career regular season assists.

    Fiala closes regular season play as the eighth all-time leading scorer in the history of the SFMAAAHL. She posted 47 goals and 83 assists for 130 points in 112 regular season games. She recorded her final career regular season assist on Sunday to pass former team captain Lauren Zary as the Stars all-time leader in that category.

    Zary collected 44 goals and 82 assists for 126 points playing 103 regular season games with the Stars from 2008 to 2012. She is the 10^th all-time leading scorer in the history of the SFMAAAHL in regular season play and moved on to play post-secondary hockey first with the Brown University Bears in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ranks and then the University of Saskatchewan Huskies in the U Sports ranks.

    Fiala sits in a tie with Chelsea Perepeluk for the second and third spots in the SFMAAAHL career regular season assists list. Perepeluk, who is the SFMAAAHL’s 14^th all-time leading scorer in regular season points, recorded 36 goals and 83 assists in 108 regular season games played with the Regina Rebels from 2010 to 2015.

    The Stars already had first place in the SFMAAAHL locked up heading into the weekend, and they will have a bye to a best-of-five league semifinal series in the post-season. Saskatoon posted its best regular season record ever at 27-1 beating out its previous best mark of 25-2-1 from the 2016-17 campaign.
    The Stars collected a new team record 78 points in the standings coming off 24 regulation wins and three extra time victories. Their previous record of 76 points came back in 2016-17 coming from 25 regulation wins and one extra time setback.

    The Hounds are cemented to finish fifth in the SFMAAAHL with an 11-13-3 record. They close the SFMAAAHL regular season by traveling to Regina to face the Rebels on Wednesday at 8 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre.

    Notre Dame will face the Prince Albert Northern Bears in a best-of-five first round playoff series. The SFMAAAHL playoffs are expected to start around March 7.

Wildcats vault into third with sweep of Gold Wings

Taylor Lind won her second SFMAAAHL scoring title this season.

    Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats jumped into a third place finish in the SFMAAAHL standings with a sweep of the Weyburn Richardson Pioneer Gold Wings on the weekend.

    On Saturday at the Fairview Arena in Swift Current, the Wildcats downed the Gold Wings 6-1. Star captain Taylor Lind and Sara Kendall scored twice for the Wildcats, while Brooklyn Rublee and Tobi Fontaine had singles.

    Dakota Bowler replied with a single for the Gold Wings.

    Harper Davey turned away 21 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Wildcats. Daneka Dickson turned away 37 shots to take the setback in goal for the Gold Wings.

    On Sunday at the Fairview Arena, Lind powered the Wildcats with a hat trick and an assist to a 6-0 victory.

    Ashlee Wolfe, Sara Kendall and Carissa Hogan had singles for the Wildcats. Davey stopped all 20 shots she faced to pick up her first shutout win of the season.

    Amara Lewendon turned away 42 shots to take the setback in goal for the Gold Wings. Weyburn missed the playoffs finishing with a 1-26-1 record.

    Lind finished her regular season career as the second all-time leading scorer in the history of the SFMAAAHL in regular season play. She piled up 93 goals and 77 assists for 170 points in 83 regular season games. The Shaunavon, Sask., product is the Wildcats all-time leader in career regular season goals, assists and points.

Sara Kendall had three goals on the weekend for the Wildcats.

    For the second time in three seasons, Lind won the SFMAAAHL scoring title posting 29 goals and 31 assists for 60 points this season. Her assist and point totals are career highs.

    Next season, Lind is slated to the join the Lindenwood University Lions women’s hockey team in St. Charles, Missouri, in the NCAA ranks. She has one season of midget AAA eligibility remaining but is set to graduate high school a year early.

    The Wildcats are 11-1 since returning to action after the Christmas break to vault to a third place finish in the SFMAAAHL standings with a 17-10-1 record to just edge out the Prince Albert Northern Bears, who were 17-9-2.

    Swift Current recorded 50 points in the standings due to winning 15 games in regulation, winning twice in extra time and posting one extra time loss. The Bears posted 49 points in the standings coming off 13 regulation wins, four extra time wins and two extra time setbacks.

    The Wildcats will face the Battlefords Sharks in a best-of-five first round series. The SFMAAAHL playoffs are expected to start around March 7.

Sharks, Prairie Fire close with hard-fought split

Madison Sansom scored twice for the Sharks on Saturday.

    The Battlefords Sharks and the Melville Prairie Fire conclude their respective SFMAAAHL regular seasons with a head-to-head split in a two game series.

    On Saturday at the Horizon Credit Union Centre in Melville, the Sharks led 1-0 after the first period and extended their edge to 3-0 early in the third. The Prairie Fire battled back cutting the Sharks lead to 3-2, but Battlefords sealed with win with an empty-net goal with under 10 seconds to play in the third.

    Brooklyn Rowley and Madison Sansom each scored twice for the Sharks. Megan Hayhurst and Ava Metzger replied with singles for the Prairie Fire.

    Haylie Biever turned away 30 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Sharks. Cheyenne Jamieson turned away 21 of 24 shots taking the setback in goal for the Prairie Fire.

    The two side played a barnburner at the Horizon Credit Union Centre on Sunday in Melville. The two side were locked in a 1-1 tie exiting the first period.

    The Sharks took a 2-1 lead early in the second period, but the Prairie Fire exploded for three straight goals to take a 4-2 edge into the second intermission. Melville held on for a 5-4 victory.

    Jordyn Blais scored twice for the Sharks, while Kiana McNinch and Sydney Rowley had singles. Metzger scored twice and had an assist for the Prairie Fire, while Megan Hayhurst, Jordyn Bear and Heather Fiske had singles.

Allison Hayhurst played her 139th regular season game on Sunday.

    Biever turned away 25 shots to take the setback in goal for the Sharks. Jamieson turned away 14-of-16 shots starting and picking up the win in goal for the Prairie Fire. Haley Schrader played the final 22 minutes of Sunday’s contest turning away 17-of-19 shots in relief.

    The Sharks finished sixth in the SFMAAAHL standings with an 11-13-4 record. They were just edged out by the Notre Dame Hounds (11-13-3) for fifth place.

    The Hounds have 35 points in the standings coming off 10 regulation wins, one extra time win and three extra time setbacks. The Sharks finished with 33 standings points coming off seven regulation wins, four extra time wins and four extra time setbacks.
    Battlefords win and standings point totals were team records. The Sharks previous record for wins in one regular season was 10 posted in the SFMAAAHL’s second season in 2007-08, when they posted 10 wins, 16 losses and two ties.
    Battlefords previous high for standings points was 26 posted in 2014-15 coming from a 9-18-1 record, where the team won seven times in regulation, twice in extra time and had one extra time setback.

    The Prairie Fire were seventh overall in the SFMAAAHL with a 10-16-2 mark.

    Prairie Fire defender Allison Hayhurst became the third person in the history of the SFMAAAHL to play in 139 career regular season games. Hayhurst, who turned 18-years-old earlier this month, has 22 goals and 47 assists for 69 points in her 139 career regular season games.

    She had assists in each of the Prairie Fire’s last two games.

    The Sharks will face the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats in a best-of-five first round series. The Prairie Fire will meet the Regina Rebels in a best-of-five first round series. The SFMAAAHL playoffs are expected to start around March 7.

    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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Shirley passes Parker to become Stars all-time top scorer

Grace Shirley became the Stars all-time leading scorer on Sunday.

    It seemed fitting that Grace Shirley became the successor to capture one of the Saskatoon Stars biggest individual records that was held by a friend and former teammate.

    On Sunday, Shirley picked up three assists to become the Stars all-time leader in career regular season points as they downed the Notre Dame Hounds 7-3 in a Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League game at Merlis Belsher Place. With the three helpers, Shirley, who is the Stars captain, has 93 goals and 68 assists for 161 points in 105 carer regular season games. Her goal total is also a Stars career regular season record.

    She passed Mackenna Parker, who was the Stars captain last season, as the team’s leader in career points. Parker recorded 82 goals and 76 assists for 158 points playing 104 career regular season games for the Stars from 2014 to 2018. She is now a freshman with the Boston University Terriers women’s hockey team in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ranks.

    Shirley and Parker are the third and fourth respective all-time leading scorers in the history of the SFMAAAHL.

    Shirley picked up her record breaking point assisting on the Stars first goal, which was scored by 15-year-old sophomore forward Calli Arnold. The captain proceeded to pick up assists on the Stars third and fourth tallies as they built a 4-0 lead after the first period.

Kaitlin Jockims had three points for the Stars on Sunday.

    The Stars built a 6-1 advantage after the second period and cruised to victory from there.
    Kaitlin Jockims and Alison Olorenshaw each had a pair of goals and an assist for the Stars. Anna Leschyshyn had a goal and two assists for Saskatoon, while Arnold had a pair of goals.

    Claire Nimegeers, Brynn Maclean and Lyndsey Janes replied with singles for the Hounds.

    Arden Kliewer turned away 11 of 12 shots starting and picking up the win in goal for the Stars. Kaitlyn Cadrain turned away five-of-seven shots playing the third period in relief.

    Rayanne Mckenzie turned away 16-of-22 shots starting in goal for the Hounds. She was pulled late in the second period after the Stars sixth goal.

    Kaitlyn Ross turned away 19-of-20 shots playing the rest of the way in relief.

    With the win, the Stars improved their record to 25-1 and were already assured of finishing first in the SFMAAAHL before Sunday’s game. The Hounds fell to 11-11-3 to sit fifth in the SFMAAAHL.

Besides Shirley’s record, Stars 17-year-old centre Joelle Fiala hit a milestone in the win. She picked up an assist on the Stars sixth goal.

    With that helper, Fiala equaled former Stars captain Lauren Zary for the Stars record in career regular season assists at 82.

    Fiala has 45 goals and 82 assists for 127 points in 110 career regular season games with the Stars. Zary recorded 44 goals and 82 assists for 126 points in 103 career regular season games played with the Stars from 2008 to 2012.

    Following her career with the Stars, Zary moved on to play with the Brown University Bears women’s hockey team in the NCAA ranks and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team in the U Sports ranks.

Joelle Fiala has equaled the Stars record for career assists.

    Fiala and Zary are the eighth and ninth all-time leading scorers respectively in the history of the SFMAAAHL.

    Leschyshyn is also closing in on both Fiala and Zary for the Stars career assists record. In 113 career regular season games, Leschyshyn has 71 goals and 78 assists for 149 points to sit as the fifth all-time leading scorer in the history of the SFMAAAHL.

    The Stars and Hounds will go at it again twice more. They will face each other this coming Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Duncan McNeill Arena in Wilcox and on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. at the Duncan McNeill Arena.

    Saskatoon concludes its regular season with those two contests.

    Following those games, the Hounds conclude their regular season on Feb. 20 by traveling to Regina to take on the Rebels at 8 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre.

Fontaine, Lind deliver Wildcats double OT comeback win

Tobi Fontaine scored for the Wildcats on Sunday.

    A couple of key players came up big to allow the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats to win an overtime thriller on Sunday.

    Hosting the Melville Prairie Fire at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex, the Wildcats fell behind 1-0 in the first period thanks to a short-handed goal scored by Prairie Fire sophomore 15-year-old forward Jordyn Bear. The tally was Bear’s 10^th goal of the season.

    The Wildcats evened things up at 1-1 with 7:04 remaining in the second period on a goal coming from veteran 17-year-old defender Tobi Fontaine.

    In a three-on-three double overtime period, Wildcats star captain Taylor Lind scored the winner with 72 seconds remaining in the frame.

    Amaya Giraudier stopped 28 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Wildcats. Cheyenne Jamieson turned away 36 shots to take the extra time setback in goal for the Prairie Fire.

    The Wildcats are 9-1 since returning from the Christmas break. Their one loss was a 5-2 setback to the Prairie Fire on Saturday in Swift Current.

    The Wildcats sit fourth in the SFMAAAHL with a 15-10-1 record. The Prairie Fire sit sixth in the SFMAAAHL with a 9-15-2 mark.

    The Wildcats close their regular season hosting the Weyburn Richardson Pioneer Gold Wings in a pair of games at 7:45 p.m. and 12:45 p.m. this coming Saturday and Sunday respectively at the Fairview Arena.

    The Prairie Fire conclude their regular season hosting the Battlefords Sharks in a pair of games at 7 p.m. and 1 p.m. this coming Saturday and Sunday respectively at the Horizon Credit Union Centre.

Five top 10 all-time SFMAAAHL scorers still active

Taylor Lind is the SFMAAAHL’s second all-time leading scorer.

    The Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League has hit a unique moment that might never come again in the history of the circuit.

    As the SFMAAAHL regular season nears an end, five the league’s top 10 all-time leading scorers in regular season play are still active. All five members of that group are slated to graduate from their teams after the current campaign.

    The next time a player will come along to break into the top 10 of the SFMAAAHL’s career points list is uncertain.

    At the moment, Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats star captain Taylor Lind is the second all-time leading scorer in the history of the SFMAAAHL. In 81 career regular season games, she has 88 goals and 76 assists for 164 points.

    Lind does have one year of midget eligibility remaining, but she is slated finish high school a year early and will join the Lindenwood University Lions women’s hockey team next season in St. Charles, Missouri, and play in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ranks.

    Saskatoon Stars captain Grace Shirley sits third in SFMAAAHL career scoring. She has 93 goals and 68 assists for 161 points in 105 career regular season games.

    Anna Leschyshyn, who is another Stars forward, sits fifth on the SFMAAAHL’s career scoring list. She has 71 goals and 78 assists for 149 points in 113 career regular season games.

    Joelle Fiala, who is a star centre with the Stars, sits eighth on the SFMAAAHL’s career scoring list. She has 45 goals and 82 assists for 127 points in 110 career regular season games.

    Prince Albert Northern Bears captain Abby Soyko occupies the 10^th spot on the SFMAAAHL’s career scoring list. She has 62 goals and 61 assists for 123 points in 134 career regular season games.

    Olivia Howe is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the SFMAAAHL. Playing for the Notre Dame Hounds from 2008 to 2012, Howe appeared in 106 regular season games piling up 107 goals and 100 assists.

    The Hounds won the Esso Cup as national champions in the 2010-11 campaign with Howe.

    Following her time with the Hounds, Howe played four season with the Clarkson University Golden Knights women’s hockey team and helped them win their first NCAA title in the 2013-14 campaign.

    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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Messier lifts Stars past Hounds

Ashley Messier reacts to her winning goal for the Stars.

    In a tight and physical game, Ashley Messier delivered the biggest blow with a rocket shot to deliver the Saskatoon Stars another victory.

    Facing the Notre Dame Hounds in a Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League regular season game at Merlis Belsher Place, the Stars entered the third period locked in a 0-0 tie.

    With nine minutes to play in the third period, Messier, who is skilled offensive defender, took a pass from defensive partner Emily Holmes, broke down the right wing of the Notre Dame zone and roofed home a rocket shot past Hounds star netminder Kaitlyn Ross. The 16-year-old’s tally was the only marker of the contest as the Stars held on for a 1-0 victory.

    “I just got the pass from Emily (Holmes) and went high,” said Messier. “I know that her glove is really good, so I just tried to stay away from that.”

    While Saturday’s encounter marked the first time the Stars and Hounds met in the regular season, they faced each other in the final of the Mandi Schwartz Memorial Tournament last Dec. 9. 

The Stars celebrate Ashley Messier’s winning goal on Saturday.

    As Notre Dame hosted that prestigious event, the Hounds were the host squad.

    The Stars prevailed in that contest 3-1, and Messier said the way Saturday’s game played out felt familiar to that tournament championship encounter.

    “It was pretty similar to our one at Mandi,” said Messier. “I would say they are always low scoring and hard fought games and that was just another one today.”

    Ross was outstanding in the Hounds net turning away 28 shots to take the setback in goal.

    Arden Kliewer turned away all 19 shots she faced picking up her sixth shutout win of the season in goal for the Stars. She has nine shutouts in her SFMAAAHL career.

Ashley Messier has 30 points this season for the Stars.

    Messier said the Stars were trying to do their best to screen Ross and make her move side to side to produce better scoring chances.

    “(We have to) make sure we do get the shots through, because they are good at blocking up top as well,” said Messier. “(We have to) make sure we have people at the net to get it in, because they are not always going to be really nice goals against a goalie like this.”

    Before Messier scored, the Stars looked like they were going to break the scoreless tie, while working on the power play. Stars captain Grace Shirley got the puck at the right side of the Notre Dame net, and she rang a backhand off the post.

    Shortly after Shirley’s chance with the game still tied at 0-0, the Hounds had a chance to score during a mad scramble in front of the Stars net, but Notre Dame couldn’t get the puck into the Saskatoon goal.

Kaitlyn Ross made 28 saves in goal for the Hounds.

    The Hounds checked the Stars incredibly tight, and Messier said Notre Dame clogged things up, when the Saskatoon skaters tried to bring the puck up through centre ice.

    “I would say that it is a more physical game, and the refs were letting a lot go, which was fine,” said Messier. “They (the Hounds) are patient and they trap.

    “They do set up a trap, so it is kind of hard to get around on, but we got there today.”

    Individually, Messier is having her best season. The 16-year-old third-year veteran has career highs in goals (five), assists (25) and points (30). She stayed modest taking her career highs in stride.

    “It is good,” said Messier. “It is nice to know that you are improving or doing better.

Captain Grace Shirley fires a shot on goal for the Stars.

    “It is not the most important thing, but it is nice.”

    With the win, the Stars improved to 24-1. They came into Saturday’s game having already locked up first place in the SFMAAAHL.

    The Hounds saw their five game winning streak come to an end as they fell to 11-10-3.

    The two sides go at it again on Sunday at 2:15 at Merlis Belsher Place.

    Following that game, the Stars close their regular season by traveling to Wilcox to play the Hound in two respective games on Feb. 16 and 17.

    Messier said playing the Hounds four straight times will help the Stars gear up for the post-season.

    “I’m assuming there will be a lot more games like this,” said Messier. “It is going to be hard fought right to the very end, which is going to be good for us going into playoffs.”

Bears’ Soyko moves to 10^th on SFMAAAHL career scoring list

Abby Soyko has 123 career regular season points.

    Prince Albert Northern Bears captain Abby Soyko hit a big personal milestone on Saturday.

    The skilled 17-year-old forward moved alone into 10^th place on the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League’s career regular season scoring list.

    Soyko hit the milestone teaming up with sister Allie Soyko to set up Kate Ball for the Bears first goal in a 11-0 victory over the Weyburn Richardson Pioneer Gold Wings at Crescent Point Place in Weyburn.

    Abby Sokyo also picked up a goal for a two-point night in the win. Over five seasons, Soyko has appeared in 134 regular season games recording 62 goals and 61 assists for 123 career points.

    She is two points clear of Taylor Woods and Emma Waldenberger, who sit tied for 11^th and 12^th spot on the all-time regular season scoring list.

    Woods appeared in 84 regular season games for the Notre Dame Hounds from 2008 to 2011 recording 55 goals and 66 assists for her 121 points. Waldenberger played 109 regular season games for the Regina Rebels from 2010 to 2011 posting 60 goals and 61 assists for her 121 points.
    Soyko is the Bears all-time leader in career goals and points.

Scout Anderson picked up her first career shutout on Saturday.

    In Saturday’s clash between the Bears and Gold Wings, 17-year-old forward Miranda Heidt had a pair of goals and five assists for the Bears. Jaydn Kushniruk had a pair of goals and two assists for Prince Albert, while Jasper Desmarais had a goal and three assists for the Bears.

    Ball finished with a pair of goals and an assist. McKenzie Mayo, Paige Dawson and Haley Kicia rounded out the Bears scoring with singles.

    Scout Anderson, who is a 14-year-old rookie, made 24 saves to earn her first career SFMAAAHL regular season shutout for the Bears (16-8-2). Daneka Dawson turned away 39 shots to take the setback in goal for Gold Wings (1-24-1).

    The Bears return to action on Friday, when they host the Regina Rebels at 7 p.m. at the Kinsmen Arena in Prince Albert.

    Weyburn travels to Swift Current this coming Saturday to face the Diamond Energy Wildcats at 7:45 p.m. at the Fairview Arena.

Prairie Fire upset Wildcats 5-2

Allison Hayhurst had a goal and an assist for the Prairie Fire.

    The Melville Prairie Fire brought an end to the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats eight-game winning streak with a big upset victory.

    On Saturday at the Innovation Credit Union i-Plex in Swift Current, the Prairie Fire built a 2-0 lead after the first period, a 3-0 advantage after the second period and expanded their edge to 5-0 in the third. The Wildcats responded with two goals to make the final 5-2 in Melville’s favour.

    Starla Mann scored twice for the Prairie Fire, while fifth-year veteran defender Allison Hayhurst had a goal and an assist.

    Megan Hayhurst and Heather Fiske rounded out Melville’s scoring with singles.

    Sara Kendall and Kenedee Klevgaard replied with singles for the Wildcats.

    Cheyenne Jamieson made 28 saves to pick up the win in goal for the Prairie Fire (9-15-1).

    Amaya Girauder started and took the setback in goal for the Wildcats (14-10-1) turning away 15-of-20 shots sent her way. Harper Davey turned away all five shots she faced in relief entering the contest in the third period after Melville’s fifth goal.

    Wildcats star captain Taylor Lind, who leads the SFMAAAHL scoring race and is the circuit’s second all-time leading scorer, was held without a point for just the second time this season.

    The Prairie Fire and Wildcats go at it again on Sunday at 1:15 p.m. at the Fairview Arena in Swift Current.

    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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Rebels sweep Gold Wings, motor into heavyweight tilt with first place Stars

Rookie Neena Brick had eight points in the Rebels last two games.

    The Regina Rebels showed they won’t take anyone lightly.

    This past weekend, the Rebels continued to cement themselves in second place in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League standings by sweeping the rebuilding Weyburn Richardson Pioneer Gold Wings in a home-and-home series.

    On Saturday, the two clubs met at Crescent Point Place in Weyburn and the Rebels led 2-0 after the first period, 4-0 after the second frame and skated to a 9-0 victory.

    Forward Lauren Focht, who recently turned 17-years-old, led the way for the Rebels netting four goals and an assist. Neena Brick, who is a 15-year-old rookie forward, had a goal and three assists.

    White City product Tavia Terry had two goals and one assist. Sophomore 16-year-old forward Hanna Bailey, who has committed to join the University of Manitoba Bisons women’s hockey team for the 2020-21 season, recorded three assists for the Rebels.

Lauren Focht had four goals for the Rebels on Saturday.

    Shaelyn Myers and Alexis Petford each had singles for the Regina.

    Veteran 16-year-old netminder Chantel Weller made 18 saves to record her first career SFMAAAHL shutout for the Rebels.

    Amara Lewendo turned away 39 shots going the distance in net for the Gold Wings.

    The two sides went at it again on Sunday at the Co-operators Centre in Regina, and the Rebels jumped out to a 4-0 lead and cruised to a 10-3 victory to extend their winning streak to four games.

    Brick had a hat trick and an assist for the Rebels, while Bailey had a hat trick. Kaylee Dyer, who is a 15-year-old rookie forward, had a goal and two assists for Regina.

    Focht, Petford and Myers all had singles for the host side.

    Payton Mabee, Sydney Keddie and Reece Pittman replied with singles for Weyburn.

    Payton Schlamp, who is a rookie 15-year-old goalie, turned away 24 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Rebels.

    Lewendo stopped 44 shots going the distance in goal for the Gold Wings, who fell to 1-19-1.

Hanna Bailey has six points in the Rebels last two games.

    Having won four straight, the skilled and spunky Rebels improved to 16-4-2. They now travel to Saskatoon to face the first place and defending SFMAAAHL champion Stars (20-1) in a two-game series at Merlis Belsher Place.

    The two sides hit the ice this coming Saturday at 2:30 p.m. and go at it again on Sunday at 12:45 p.m.

    The Rebels and Stars split their first two regular season encounters in Regina. On Jan. 12, the Stars blanked the Rebels 3-0. On Jan. 13, the Rebels downed the Stars 3-2.

    The Gold Wings return to Weyburn and will host the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats this coming Saturday at 2 p.m. at Crescent Point Place.

Lind, Hogan on fire for Wildcats

Carissa Hogan scored the OT winner for the Wildcats on Sunday.

    Veteran forwards Taylor Lind and Carissa Hogan of the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats are too hot for the opposition to handle at the moment.

    Both played key roles in helping the Wildcats sweep the Battlefords Sharks in a series this past weekend, which allowed Swift Current to increase its winning streak to six games.

    On Saturday, the two SFMAAAHL squads faced each other at the Gull Lake Arena in Gull Lake as part of “Hockey Day in Saskatchewan” festivities.

    The Wildcats and Sharks were locked in a 2-2 tie in the second period before Swift Current exploded for four straight goals and ultimately claimed a 7-3 victory.

    Lind, who is the Wildcats captain, had two goals and two assists in the win, while Hogan had a pair of goals. Sara Kendall aided the Swift Current side with three assists.

    Brooklyn Rublee, Kate Wagner and Ashlee Wolfe had singles for the Wildcats.

    Logan Halter, Sydney Rowley and Jordyn Blais replied with singles for the Sharks. Captain Ali Aitken had a pair of assists for Battlefords.

    Amaya Giraudier stopped 34 shots to pick up with win in goal for the Wildcats.

    Yelena Zaleschuk turned away 36 shots to take the loss in goal for the Sharks.

    On Sunday at the Fairview Arena in Swift Current, the Wildcats fell behind 3-1 to the Sharks before rallying for a 4-3 overtime victory.

    Lind gave the Wildcats a 1-0 lead, but the Sharks responded with three straight goals to take a 3-1 edge into the first intermission. Ensley Fendelet, Brooklyn Rowley and Kiana McNinch netted singles for the Sharks.

    Battlefords continued to hold its 3-1 lead heading into the third period.

Taylor Lind has 20 points in her last six games.

    Lind scored 55 seconds into the third to cut the Sharks edge to 3-2. Hogan picked up an assist on that tally.

    With 80 seconds remaining in the third, Lind teamed up with Baylee Kirwan to set up Kendall for the equalizer that created a 3-3 tie and forced overtime.

    Just 50 seconds into overtime, Hogan blasted home her fourth game-winning goal of the season to give the Wildcats the 4-3 win.

    Harper Davey stopped 27 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Wildcats (12-9-1).

    Zaleschuk turned away 33 shots to take the overtime setback in goal for the Sharks (10-11-4).

    Hogan has points in five straight games for the Wildcats recording five goals and three assists over that span of time.

    Lind has only been held off the scoresheet in one of the Wildcats 22 regular season games. During Swift Current’s current six game winning streak, Lind has hit another high gear posting 10 goals and 10 assists over that span of time.

    She leads the SFMAAAHL in scoring with 19 goals and 28 assists for 47 points.

    Thanks to the seven points she posted this past weekend against the Sharks, Lind vaulted past current Saskatoon Stars captain Grace Shirley into third on the SFMAAAHL’s all-time career regular season points list.

    In 77 career regular season games, Lind has 83 goals and 74 assists for 157 points.

    Shirley has 89 goals and 63 assists for 152 points in 100 career regular season games.

    Lind, who is the Wildcats all-time leading scorer, trails former Stars captain Mackenna Parker by one point for second in career SFMAAAHL regular season points.

    Parker recorded 82 goals and 76 assists for 158 points playing 104 career regular season games with the Stars from 2014-18. She currently plays for the Boston University Terriers women’s hockey team in the NCAA ranks.

    The Wildcats return to action this coming Saturday, when they travel to Weyburn to face the Richardson Pioneer Gold Wings at 2 p.m. at Crescent Point Place.

    The Sharks are off until Feb. 7, when they host the Stars at 7:30 p.m. at the Battleford Arena.

Hats fly for Bears forwards Kicia and Anderson

Haley Kicia had a hat trick on Saturday.

    Prince Albert Northern Bears forwards Haley Kicia and Brooklyn Anderson each celebrated hat trick nights this past weekend to help their team sweep the Melville Prairie Fire in a two-game series.

    On Saturday at the Shellbrook Skating Rink, Kicia, who is a 15-year-old sophomore, recorded the first three goal game of her SFMAAAHL career in regular season play to power the Bears past the Prairie Fire 5-2.

    Paris Oleksyn and Kate Ball each had a goal and an assist for Prince Albert.

    Jordyn Bear and Megan Hayhurst replied with singles for the Prairie Fire.

    Lexi Beuker stopped 20 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Bears.

    Cheyenne Jamieson turned away 36 shots to take the setback in goal for the Prairie Fire.

    On Sunday at the Kinsmen Arena in Prince Albert, Anderson scored three straight goals in the second period to power the Bears to a 4-1 victory over the Prairie Fire.

    Defender Jessie Herner, who committed to joining the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team in the U Sports ranks for the 2020-21 season on Monday, had the Bears other goal on Sunday, which tied things up at 1-1 at the 6:57 mark of the second period.

    Reauna Blight gave the Prairie Fire a 1-0 lead heading into the first intermission.

Brooklyn Anderson had a hat trick on Sunday.

    Scout Anderson stopped 16 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Bears, who have won three straight to improve to 14-8-2.

    Jamieson turned away 31 shots to take the setback in goal for the Prairie Fire (8-13-1).

    The Bears are off until Feb. 8, when they travel to Weyburn to face the Richardson Pioneer Gold Wings at 7:30 p.m. at Crescent Point Place.

    The Prairie Fire travel to Wilcox this coming Saturday to take on the Notre Dame Hounds at 4 p.m. at the Duncan McNeill Arena.

    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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Rebels confirm they’re for real, down powerhouse Stars 3-2

Larissa Bohlken assisted on the Rebels winning goal on Sunday.

    The Regina Rebels achieved the win they were desperately seeking.

    On Sunday at the Co-operators Centre in Regina, the Rebels downed the defending Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League champion Saskatoon Stars 3-2. The setback was the first regular season loss of the 2018-19 campaign for the Stars, who have been a powerhouse squad for the past five seasons.

    The Stars still lead the SFMAAAHL standings with a 20-1 record, while the Rebels sit second with a 13-4-2 mark.

    Saskatoon took a 1-0 lead on a first period goal from standout forward Kaitlin Jockims. The Stars held their slim 1-0 edge heading into the third period.

    In the third, the Rebels exploded for three straight goal to take a 3-1 advantage. Gwyneth Pritchard tied things up at 1-1 scoring 68 seconds into the frame. Just less than a minute later, sophomore 15-year-old defender Sydney Pedersen scored to put the Rebels up 2-1.

    At the 6:53 mark of the third, 15-year-old rookie forward Neena Brick scored what would be the winning goal for the Rebels giving them a 3-1 advantage. Larissa Bohlken, who is a sophomore 15-year-old defender, and Lauren Focht, who is a 16-year-old veteran forward, picked up assists on Brick’s winner.

    The Stars cut the gap to 3-2 at the 9:11 mark of the third, when standout sophomore forward Makena Kushniruk netted her 14^th goal of the season.

    Saskatoon was unable to net the equalizer from that point.

    Chantel Weller, who is from Saskatoon, turned away 20 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Rebels. Kaitlyn Cadrain stopped 22 shots to take the setback in goal for the Stars.

    Stars star centre Joelle Fiala picked up a milestone in the loss. She assisted on Kushniruk’s goal, and with that helper, Fiala became just the fourth player in the history of the SFMAAAHL to record 80 career regular season assists.

Joelle Fiala picked up her 80th career assist on Sunday.

    In 105 career regular season games, Fiala has 45 goals and 80 assists to sit as the ninth all-time leading scorer in the history of the SFMAAAHL with 125 points. She needs to pick up two more assists to equal Lauren Zary for the Stars team career regular season record.

    Zary, who is a former Stars captain, appeared in 103 career regular season games over four seasons with the Stars from 2008 to 2012 collecting 44 goals and 82 assists for 126 points. She moved on to play for the Brown University Bears women’s hockey team of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ranks and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies women’s hockey team of the U Sports ranks.

    When the Stars and Rebels met on Saturday at the Co-operators Centre, Saskatoon pulled out a 3-0 victory in that regular season encounter.

    Kushniruk, Kaylee Baum and Fiala all netted singles for the Stars.

    Arden Kliewer stopped 18 shots to earn her fifth shutout of the season playing goal for the Stars.

    Weller turned away 13 shots to take the setback in goal for the Rebels.

    Back on Dec. 8, 2018, the Stars and Rebels met in a semifinal contest at the Mandi Schwartz Memorial Tournament, and the Stars rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third period to pull out a 3-2 victory after a tiebreaking shootout.

    The Rebels return to action on Wednesday, when they host the Melville Prairie Fire at 8 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre.

    The Stars are off until Jan. 26, when they host the Rebels at 2:30 p.m. at Merlis Belsher Place.

Lind hits even higher gear for Wildcats

Taylor Lind leads the SFMAAAHL in scoring.

    Star captain Taylor Lind is finding a way to take her game to an even higher level for the Swift Current Diamond Energy Wildcats.

    Lind, who recently turned 17-years-old, was in on all of the Wildcats goals this weekend as Swift Current swept the Prairie Fire in Melville in a weekend SFMAAAHL regular season series at the Horizon Credit Union Centre.

    On Saturday, Lind had a pair of goals including the winner and an assist as the Wildcats downed the Prairie Fire 3-2. Linemate Carissa Hogan had a goal and an assist to help power the Swift Current victory.

    Hogan set up Lind for the winning tally at the 8:56 mark of the third period to break a 2-2 tie.

Megan Hayhurst and Allison Hayhurst replied with singles for the Prairie Fire.

    Amaya Giraudier turned away 29 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Wildcats. Cheyenne Jamieson stopped 37 shots to take the setback in goal for the Prairie Fire.

    On Sunday, Lind had a goal and two assists to push the Wildcats to another 3-2 victory over the Prairie Fire. She set up the Wildcats first goal of the contest scored by Sara Kendall and the winning tally at the 9:46 mark of the third scored by Hogan. Swift Current held a 3-1 advantage after Hogan’s goal.

    Halle Bowles and Jordyn Bear replied with singles for the Prairie Fire.

    Giraudier stopped 21 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Wildcats. Jamieson turned away 33 shots to take the setback in goal for the Prairie Fire.

    The Wildcats have won four straight to improve to 10-9-1. The Prairie Fire fell to 8-10-1.

    With her effort this weekend, Lind became just the fourth player in the history of the SFMAAAHL to score 150 or more points in her career in regular season play. In 75 career regular season games, Lind has piled up 79 goals and 71 assists for 150 points.

    She also became one of eight players to record 70 or more career assists in regular season play in the history of the SFMAAAHL.

    Lind leads the SFMAAAHL scoring race this season with 15 goals and 25 assists. She won the SFMAAAHL scoring title in her rookie season in 2016-17.

    The Prairie Fire return to action on Wednesday, when they travel to Regina to face the Rebels at 8 p.m. at the Co-operators Centre.

    The Wildcats host the Battlefords Sharks this coming Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Gull Lake Arena.

Bears, Hounds split weekend series in P.A.

Miranda Heidt scored the OT winner for the Bears on Sunday.

    The visiting Notre Dame Hounds and the host Prince Albert Northern Bears split their two head-to-head SFMAAAHL regular season games this past weekend at the Kinsmen Arena in Prince Albert.

    In Saturday’s encounter, the Bears took a 2-1 lead early in the second period only to see the Hounds rally for a 3-2 victory.

    Kailey Ledoux had a goal and an assist for the Bears, while Miranda Heidt netted a single.

    Lyndsey Janes picked up an assist on the Hounds first goal by Kaitlyn Gilroy. Janes proceeded to score the equalizer in the second period and the winning goal at the 4:02 mark of the third to push the Hounds to victory.

    Scout Anderson stopped 22 shots to take the setback in goal for the Bears. Kaitlyn Ross turned away 27 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Hounds.

    On Sunday, the Bears rallied from a 3-2 deficit after two periods to pull out a 4-3 victory in overtime.

    Brooklyn Anderson scored the equalizer for the Bears on the power play 23 seconds into the third period to force a 3-3 tie. Heidt scored the winner at the 1:37 mark of overtime.

    Kate Ball and Tori MacDonald netted singles for the Bears.

    Raea Gilroy, Ally Kosteniuk and Kaitlyn Gilroy replied with singles for the Hounds.

    Lexi Beuker turned away 32 shots to pick up the win in goal for the Bears. Rayanne Mckenzie turned away 18 shots to take the setback in goal for the Hounds.

    The Bears record moved to 12-8-2. The Hounds record sits at 6-9-3.

    The Hounds return to action on Wednesday, when they host the Weyburn Gold Wings at 8 p.m. at the Duncan McNeill Arena in Wilcox.

    The Bears host the Melville Prairie Fire this coming Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Shellbrook Skating Rink.

Shirley becomes golden girl with Canada

Grace Shirley won a gold medal with Canada.

    Grace Shirley had a Sunday fun day she will always remember.

    The 17-year-old captain of the defending SFMAAAHL champion Saskatoon Stars had an assist to help Canada down the United States 3-2 in overtime in the gold medal final of the world under-18 women’s hockey championship tournament in Obihiro, Japan.

    Canada trailed 2-1 at one point in the third period before rallying for the overtime victory.

    Shirley, who assisted on Danielle Serdachny’s first period goal, was on the ice when linemate Maddi Wheeler scored the winner on the power play at the 1:34 mark of the extra session.

    Anne Cherkowski scored the equalizer for Canada to force a 2-2 at the 11:11 mark of the third.

Canada scored all of its goals on the power play. Canada was 3-for-8 on the power play.

    Makenna Webster and Abbey Murphy replied with singles for the United States. The United States went 1-for-9 on the power play.

    Raygan Kirk turned away 25 shots to pick up the win in goal for Canada. Skyler Vetter turned away 24 shots to take the setback in net for the United States.

    Shirley had a goal and an assist playing in Canada’s five games at the tournament. This marked the second straight year she played for Canada at the under-18 women’s worlds.

    Canada has won five golds at the under-18 women’s worlds. Sunday’s victory marked the first time Canada had won the tournament since 2014.

    Over the past four years, this was Canada’s biggest win in women’s hockey at an international tournament, and the United States has claimed victory at most top level tournaments during that span of time.

    During the 2018-19 SFMAAAHL campaign, Shirley leads the Stars in scoring with 19 goals and 15 assists for 34 points in 18 regular season games.

    She has committed to joining the University of Wisconsin Badgers women’s hockey team for the start of the 2019-20 campaign in the National Collegiate Athletic Association ranks. Her older sister, Sophie, currently plays for the Badgers.

World Champions! 🏆 #U18WWC pic.twitter.com/X7ASe5XDms

— Team Canada Women (@HC_Women) January 13, 2019

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