The Dunny Stratford Peewee Aces A are in the city of Rochester for a weekend of good hockey with many teams from both the United States and Canada registered in the tournament. Always exciting to play new teams and there seems to be something extra special when you play a team from another country. On Friday morning the Aces faced off early against the Lady Islanders in the first game of the tournament.
With the tournament being played in the United States the girls had to learn a few different rules such as there are no delayed offsides and the players can't stand in the crease. Couple with a huge Olympic Sized Ice surface that the girls rarely play on and there was a definite learning curve in game one.
The ladies moved the puck well on the Islanders and controlled the play in the first but neither team generated any real scoring opportunities and very few shots were directed on net. The highlights of the first period was the way the defence of the Aces adjusted to the new rules and larger surface. The girls used that ice to smartly move the puck and transition into the attacking zone. The forwards weren't able to use their speed as much early as they were doing a good job hemming the puck in and eventually the Aces figured out to generate chances off their cycle and board work.
The scoring opened after work just outside the Islanders zone created a 2 on 1 with Kennedy McGregor and Madi Cardno breaking in. After drawing the defender towards her McGregor slipped a pass to Cardno who broke in alone and made no mistake wristing a shot into the back of the net. The Aces began peppering the Islanders goaltender with shots in the second and using the point. Keira Dietz off a faceoff win by Lauren Taylor found partner Caleigh Webb who fired a low shot that deflected just wide off the stick of Kayla Weiringa. Just later in the shift Chelsea Savelle made a nifty move on the Islander defencemen before firing a shot short side that the Islander goaltender turned aside.
Reese Ostriyznick and Rayne Bowden each had great chances high slot to shoot but either a skate would get in a way or the goalie would make a good save thwarting chances to extend the lead. The pressure would pay off before the end of the period when Briar Slattery and Reese Reinecker cycled the puck low before feeding a wide open Avery Wildgust who made no mistake netting the biscuit for a 2-0 Aces lead.
The Aces controlled the play in the third Olivia Brock and Jesse Dietrich each had chances on shots from the point but no puck luck to be had. The birthday girl Raelyn Pennigton was close on three separate occasions to scoring but was not rewarded for her efforts. The game ended 2-0 with the edge in play tilted in the Aces way. The Aces will look to bury some scoring chances in their night time tilt vs a Peterborough squad who also won their first game of the tournament.