Provincial playoffs are well underway in Canadian arenas coast to coast and the Walkerton Capitals (Kinettes) girls’ hockey team were no exception. Competing in the midget B division, the team recently sewed up their first best-of-three series versus Kincardine Kinucks in two games.
In the first game of the playoff, the Capitals hosted the black and orange and took advantage of their home-ice edge with a dominating 7-0 win. Kicking it off in the first period was Lauren Bell who rang it up onto the scoreboard twice in those 10 minutes. The first goal, at 8:52, was unassisted, and the second, 1:53, was helped along by Katrina Grubb and Carolyn Hodgson. Defenceman Kascha Fischer stepped up and tapped in the third goal of the period at 1:11 assisted by Becky Busby and Colleen Parks.
Relaxing the pace in the second, B. Busby scored that period’s solitary goal. Assisting on the play was Parks.
Unable to tightly hold them back any longer, Coach Rich Grubb released the hounds once again and the pack finished the game off with three more markers in the third period. Hodgson recorded the 11:26 goal with another assist going to Grubb. Five minutes later Grubb would get her third stat of the evening with a goal. Bell assisted on Grubb’s goal and then earned herself a hat trick a few minutes later. Grubb would earn a hat trick in assists by helping out Bell. Also assisting on that final goal was Janna Reading.
Walkerton traveled to the shore February 18 to see if they couldn’t repeat their performance and, thus, take the best-of-three series that very night. Despite a shaky game the Capitals were able to squeak a couple past the Kinuck’s netminder and finished things off 2-0. Scoring the two for Walkerton were Parks, at 5:31 in the second, and Grubb at 1:11 in the third. R. Busby was in top form assisting on both goals and Bell helped out with Grubb’s goal.
Exhibition Play
February 15 the midget Bs were guests of the Belmore intermediate squad in a friendly, but always intense, match-up against Belmore in some fast-paced exhibition ice time. Grubb was able to put Walkerton in the lead at 13:18 in the first, assisted by Parks, but Jenna Weber of the intermediates was able to tie things up at 8:52, unassisted. The second period saw a repeat with the Capitals taking the lead (6:17, scored by Parks, unassisted) only to have Belmore equal that one also (Allison Quennell scored and was assisted by Weber and Becky Voisin).
Hmmmm -- time to break this pattern. In the third Parks was able to park her second and third goals of the game less than a minute apart to create another gap in the the score (the first of those goals was unassisted and Reading assisted on Parks’ hat trick goal). Richelle Busby finished the Walkerton onslaught off, unassisted, with 2:46 left on the clock. Voisin of the Belmore team was able to answer one of those goals (assisted by Caitlin Martin and Brittany Heffer) with just 36 seconds left in the game but, too little too late. As always, a great match-up of skill and speed for these two teams as they each head into the meaty part of the 2008-09 season. And, a great game for all the expectant fans to watch on a Sunday afternoon.
The Walkerton Capitals (Kinettes) midget B girls’ hockey team will be waiting for the outcome of the playoff series involving Goderich Sailorettes, Mitchell and South Huron Sabres. That series’ winner will be Walkerton’s next opponents in their quest for a berth to the 2008-09 midget B Provincial Championships in April.