The Battlefords AAA Sharks started the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League with 11 rookies on their roster of 15 skaters and with a new attitude and sense of optimism.
That new attitude and new roster produced a tie in the team's season opener in Melville Saturday.
The Sharks trailed 1-0 after the first period and were out shot 16-7. In the second, Cheyanne Conacher of Turtleford scored from Julie Bowerman and Taylor Durocher on a power play to tie the game.
The Sharks struck again in the third period when Conacher scored her second power play goal of the game. Latashea Frohlich and Durocher had the assists on the go-ahead goal. The Sharks lead lasted nearly five minutes, as Melville's Melissa Mish beat Jacy Akre to tie the game.
Nothing was settled in the five-minute overtime and the game ended 2-2.
Akre made 32 saves in 65 minutes to earn the tie while Nicole Clay stopped 21 shots in the Melville net. The Sharks had 15 power play opportunities in the game and scored twice. Melville played aggressively and had two players ejected from the game for hits - one for checking from behind the other a major penalty and game misconduct for charging. Melville was 1/7 with the man advantage.
Sunday afternoon, in the second game between the Sharks and Prairie Fire, Melville came out aggressively again and the Sharks had 12 power play opportunities. They took advantage of one, and grabbed the lead early.
Bowerman scored her first of the season from Shania Rhinehart and Conacher, and later, Laura Harper scored the other goal from Durocher, which was the lone power play marker.
The Sharks fell 6-2 in the game. Rachel Mitchell stopped 18 shots in the Sharks' net while Clay made 25 saves for the win at the other end of the ice.
The Sharks now have eight straight regular season home games scheduled with their next road trip being Dec. 1 and 2 to Wilcox to play Notre Dame. The Sharks will play Prince Albert Oct. 11 at Battleford Arena in their next game. The Prince Albert Bears went 1-0-1 on the weekend.
