Feb 20, 2024 | Andrew Medhurst | 68 views
Confidence Building into Playoff Run for U15A's
A Topsy Turvy Season Translates Into a New Post Season Attitude for Meddy's Squad
4 weeks early to spring the Romeo Pet Hospital U15A Aces are blossoming. After a winter hibernation in the basement , where light shone down through the window panes in fleeting moments, the Gunners have awoken from dormancy and facing a clean new road ahead in the post season. They have captured the early spring light forcing its way in and are making use of it immediately.
The Aces finished the regular season with a 5-12-2 record. Last Saturday, at the conclusion of the season the coaching staff sat the girls down at the historic Allman Arena and lamented on the weeks and months of single goal losses and heartbreak and told them that this was all in the past and a new clean sheet lies in front.
The Aces face two playoffs. One, the consolation tier of the OWHL south-west where they will play a home and home series with Bluewater, St Thomas and Mooretown to earn the right to faceoff against other divisional consolation winners for the consolation championship. The other, is against South Huron and Saugeen where two teams can earn the right to represent the region in the provincial tournament in April. In short, keep winning and keep playing all the way to April.
The journey began Sunday as the girls travelled to the flowing waters of the St Clair River in Mooretown to faceoff against the Lady Flags. The girls came out of the gate on fire. The forwards lit up the Mooretown net finding posts and crossbars and near misses while Ava Harmer scored the pair the Aces needed to win in a 2-1 finish. Aubrey Cousineau stood firm in front of a solid Ace D. It was a commanding win and the Aces showed their new post season determination.
The first Provincial playdown was decided Family Day Monday in Exeter where, hot off their confidence in Mooretown the Aces took the game to the regular season 2nd place Sabres early. Micki McDonald and Teya Anderson both found the top of the net putting the Aces up 2-0. The Sabres would fight back late in the second, hemming in a tired Ace squad getting the score halved with with 3 seconds left in the second. The Sabres would continue their pressure into the third where Peyton Arnold would hold off the Sabres, ultimately pushing back 18 shots to the Aces 10 by the end. The Sabres would equalize midway through the third and Arnold would continue to hold the Sabre back right to the dying seconds of the game.
When cornered post game, coach Medhurst remarked on the effort the girls put in and was happy with their new found confidence. 'We are a good team, we are putting it all together, these girls need to believe they can win, control the play, and keep winning their way to the next game. With a win we are close to booking our hotels in Toronto!' When asked about where the girls could improve Medhurst commented that the girls need to improve on how to play with a lead, as well as adapting their play deep in the defensive zone as well as their offensive zone puck control.
The girls upcoming schedule will be jammed with 9 playoff games total before March 10. Practice will be few and far between and these capable young ladies will have to learn and adapt on the job.
Submitted by Rob Nyenhuis