The Knights had to play a series against Mitchell, with the winner qualifying for the Provincial Tournament to be held in Toronto April 17 – 19 of this year. These two teams had faced each other twice in the Regional Silverstick Tournament held in Saugeen Shores earlier this hockey season which resulted in one win each. It was expected to be a contest that may very well go down to the wire.
The series started on Feb. 14th with a game in Monkton. This game played out as expected. The teams were evenly matched. The first period resulted in a scoreless tie, with action at both ends of the ice. Mitchell finally opened the scoring midway through the 2nd period when they caught the Knights off guard during a shift change. The game continued back and forth when Mitchell finally netted their second goal halfway through the third. The very next shift Walkerton’s Jaz T. put the Knights on the scoreboard with a feed from Claire W. With their goalie pulled, in the dying seconds of the game, the girls came close to tying the game on a couple occasions, but the Mitchell’s net minder kept them at bay, resulting in a 2-1 loss.
Game 2 was the very next day in Walkerton. Again the competition was close, and the first period resulted in 0-0 tie. Early in the 2nd frame Claire caught the Mitchell defence changing and went in alone on their goalie, giving the Knights 1-0 lead. Both teams were shut down from scoring, until the dying seconds of the 3rd period when Jaz caught Mitchell changing again and with the net empty managed to fight off the defence enough to steer the puck to give Walkerton a 2-0 win and tie the series at 2 points each.
Game 3 was in Walkerton again on Sat. Feb. 21st. The Knights used that to their advantage and started the game with an impressive tempo that resulted in a goal early in the game. About 3 minutes into the match, Ashley E. was rewarded for her exceptional effort behind the opponents net resulting in an unassisted goal. Her very next shift, Ashley and Michelle B. managed to set up Jenna H. for another goal, to give the Knights a 2-0 lead going into the 2nd. Jaz added the 3rd goal for Walkerton with a pass from Erika S. midway through that period. Then in the third, and the Knight’s shorthanded, Mitchell pulled their goalie to make it 6 on 4, to try to mount a comeback. The girls battled hard, and managed to keep their 3-0 lead for the final tally giving Walkerton a 4-2 lead in points for the series.
Game 4 was back in Monkton the very next day and the Knights could finish the series with another win. This proved to be another close game, Mitchell not willing to give up. It was a hard fought battle between two evenly matched teams. Both goalies made exceptional saves as the play went back and forth throughout the game. Teamed with that, the defensive play, and this game resulted in a scoreless tie. Now the series points were at 5-3 in favour of Walkerton.
Mitchell won the flip, so game 5 was back in Monkton on Monday March 2nd. The Knights were missing a couple girls to the sunny south. The girls were also coming off a weekend, where they were gold medalists in the Brantford Tournament. They were a little tired, but still pumped from their weekend victory. Claire scored on the very first shift, when she won the battle to put a rebound past the Mitchell goalie. Jaz got the assist. Nicole M. made it 2-0 with 2 minutes remaining in the first frame, when she also won a battle for a rebound and Lily S. received the assist. Mitchell still wouldn’t quit. They really put the pressure on in the second period, but the Knights met the challenge head on and kept them off the scoreboard. Mitchell again tried to mount a comeback in the final minute of the 2nd frame. They pulled their goalie in favour of the sixth attacker. Cassidy B. made some great saves and then with 9 seconds remaining in that period, Claire netted her 2nd of the game into the empty net assisted by Lily. The longer 3rd period was also a tough battle for the Knights, as the effects of the weekend played out. The girls fought hard to prevent Mitchell from mounting any comeback, resulting in another 3-0 win to finish the series, qualifying them to compete in the Provincial Tournament to be held April 17th – 19th in Toronto.
Cassidy played solid in net all 5 games acquiring 4 shut outs. The girls playing defence; Courtney W., Erika, Dallas F., and Jordenne V. definitely contributed to her success. The forwards; Michelle, Hope D., Arianne B., Jaz, Ashley, Claire, Jenna, Nicole, and Lily also played a major role in keeping Mitchell at bay with their great efforts, hustle, and back checking. The team as a whole really developed as the series progressed and hopefully build on this to excel during the Provincial Tournament.