The Parkland Lions extended their lead atop the South Saskatchewan Female Hockey League (SSFLH) after sweeping a weekend double-header in Estevan against the Power Dodge Chargers January 24 and 25.
On Saturday the Lions rode a five-goal second period to skate away with a 10-0 shutout victory. Taylor Nagy stopped all 14 Charger shots, while the Lions put 53 shots on net.
Jordan Holinaty led the scoring for the Lions with four goals, while Heather Fiske added two markers. Janna Kesig, Austen Dubreuil, Olivia Gordon, and Brooke Hausermann also tallied for the Lions. “It took us a little while to get rolling, but it was good to see the girls be able to finish their opportunities and play pretty sound defensively,” noted coach Chad Holinaty. “As we get closer to playoffs, we really want to continue to be aggressive.
“At the same time, we know we have to be more disciplined in our systems and in staying out of the penalty box.”
The Lions followed up Saturday’s shutout with a 6-0 win Sunday. Taylor Nagy turned aside 16 shots for her league-leading sixteenth shutout of the season.
Captain Brooke Hausermann and Austen Dubreuil both added two goals each, while Janna Kesig and Jordan Holinaty added solo markers on 51 shots.
A second period burst from the line of Holinaty, Kesig, and Dubreuil saw each player score in a span of 43 seconds. “That had to be the three fastest goals scored I’ve seen in a while,” commented coach Dean Shyiak. “The puck seemed to bounce our way, and the girls just kept digging away.”
While the Lions were happy to end the weekend with shutout sweep, they also saw some areas to continue to work on. “One area we talked about was discipline,” noted coach Kim Pennell, adding that the girls took nine penalties in each game this past weekend. “We have to find the line between being aggressive yet avoid the penalty box.
“The way we play aggressively, we know we’re going to take some penalties, but we have to quit taking those after the whistle and unnecessary ones.”
The Lions next home action is scheduled for Saturday, January 31 at 1:00p.m. in Springside when they host the Regina Blues.
The Lions begin Provincial Playoffs on Monday, February 2 when they host Regina at 7:15p.m. in Springside. The Lions return to Regina for the second game of the two-game total goals series on Thursday, February 5 before closing out their regular season Saturday, February 7.
