The Battleford Sharks took a big bite out of a struggling Weyburn Gold Wings team at the Battleford Arena.
Convincing 8-2 and 10-2 home wins capped the most impressive weekend of the season for the Sharks, while also extending the Gold Wings' season-long misery.
Without a doubt, the Wings have been the saddest story of the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League season. They came into the weekend series in Battleford with zero wins and 19 losses, a dramatic and shocking dropoff for a franchise that has won a national title in 2014 and hosted the Esso Cup last season.
The Sharks were therefore in a rare position entering play against Weyburn: as favourites. They spared no sympathy whatsoever for their down-on-their-luck southern opponents in both contests this weekend.
The Sharks took the lead early in the Saturday game. Layne Hryhoriw scored from Ali Aitken and Madison Sansom to make it 1-0 Sharks just 3:34 into the game. But the Wings tied it at the 4:50 mark on a power play goal by Madison Lafoy.
In the second, Keara Amson scored at the 4:10 mark to restore the lead for Battleford. Then midway through the period, Aitken scored with Tori MacDonald assisting, making it 3-1 Sharks.
In the third, the Sharks extended the lead to 4-1 on a goal by Jordan Kulbida before the Wings' Carli Patenaude scored midway through the period.
But the Sharks restored the three-goal lead with a shorthanded goal by Ensley Fendelet.
The Sharks erased any further doubt with a goal by Kulbida, and two more from Sansom in the final minutes.
That wrapped up the most impressive win Sharks fans have seen for a while: an 8-2 blowout. But the best was still to come the rematch Sunday.
The Sharks came out firing right from the start. A power play goal by Jordan Kulbida led things off for the Sharks, and goals by Kyra Ledoux and Ensley Fendelet made it 3-0 Sharks through one.
In the second period, Weyburn cut the margin to 3-2 on power play goals by Jayden Lindholm and Jenna O'Neill. But the Sharks took control again with goals by Kulbida and Fendelet and a power play marker by Jessie Hefner.
Third period goals by Tori MacDonald, Kulbida (the hat trick), Lexxa Potratz (her first of the season) and Ledoux (second of the game) wrapped up an impressive 10-2 Sharks victory to sweep away the Gold Wings.
The Sharks now have five wins on the season while the Wings have now lost all 21 games they have played in 2016-17.
Next up for the Sharks are two road games this coming weekend against the Regina Rebels.
That will mark the start of a five game road swing for the Sharks, who will return to the Battleford Arena on Jan. 28 to take on the Melville Prairie Fire.
