Wildcat Weekend Continues to Display Aces Improvement, News, Kinsmen Club Novice C, 2017-2018 (Stratford Aces Girls Hockey)

OWHA logo
PROUD
MEMBER
This Team is part of the 2017-2018 season, which is not set as the current season.
News Article
News Article Image
Jan 11, 2018 | RNyenhuis | 595 views
Wildcat Weekend Continues to Display Aces Improvement
Aces Prove They Can Defeat WOGHL Division Leaders in Woodstock Tourney

The Kinsmen Novice C Aces finished their last tourney of the season proving to themselves, their fans, and the division that they are the team to beat when the regular season resumes.  The girls entered the four team tourney fresh off a dominating win against the Inferno and faced off against the higher WOGHL division 2 Ilderton Jets C team skating to a 1-1 tie. The goal by Katie Wheal and the defensive work of Adele Helson earned her the MVP helmet.  The girls next draw was their division rivals, the B.A.D. Blazers.  This team has been the Aces litmus test for improvement throughout the year as they have continuously closed the gap on the team and seem poised to defeat them with their ever rising level of play. The stage was set with coach Hruden using the tenacious Reese Flanagan to mind the net and by setting up his girl's energy and focus with their always spirited pre-game rituals.  The Blazers opened the scoring in the first but it was quickly answered by Pippa Nyenhuis' first of the tourney. Katie Wheal put the girls ahead but with seconds left on the clock Blazers gunner Lauren Cooper answered to end the first period in a 2-2 draw.  The Aces dominated the second period taking the play to the Blazers as Gianna Nickel buried a pass from Pippa Nyenhuis and Adele Helson to put the girls ahead 3-2.  Into the third the Blazer's Cooper tied things up 3-3. At this point Katie Wheal decided to take matters into her own hands and fired another one in and added an insurance marker (making it a hat trick) to lift the Aces 5-3 late into the third.  As in the last meeting with the Blazers, late game drama ensured that this game was not going to over until the very end.  With 6 seconds left on the clock, the Blazers pressing play brought them within a goal of the Aces.  Determined not to be defeated by the improved Aces, the Blazers used their last 6 seconds to push the puck into the Ace zone and fire a last second shot at Flanagan, which beat her but crossed the line after the buzzer sounded to end the game.  The Aces held on and defeated the Blazers in dramatic fashion 5-4.
The girls would end their round robin play with a loss to the strong play of the Halton Twisters. Ace goals by Jule Cameron and Gianna Nickel, her second of the tourney.
In the elimination round, the Aces drew the Twisters again , this time the Aces held the Twisters play creating as many chances in the offensive zone as the Twisters could although the Twisters were able to capitalize more often. The aces lost their semi-final 6-1.

The Aces will take their successes of the weekend back into league play. They host a string of home stands in January as they look to improve their standing in the division. 





Sponsors