It is tricky to do, but unfortunately for the Battlefords AAA Sharks they played two weekend games but manage to come away with three defeats.
That is what happened to the luckless Sharks, despite playing well against the Melville Fox FM Prairie Fire this weekend at Battleford Arena.
Just prior to the start of the first of two weekend games theteams faced each other in a shootout. That was needed to break a 2-2 tie that resulted from a game early on this season between the two teams - a game that had been called a draw when it should have gone to a tie-breaking shootout.
During the shootout Battlefords failed to score on any of their three attempts, but Melville's Bailey Braden found the back of the Sharks' net and that was enough for the Prairie Fire to notch a shootout win over the Sharks.
Then it was on to the regularly-scheduled game, which turned out to be a closely-fought defensive duel between the two teams.
Melville's Alana Serhan scored from Braden midway through the first, beating goaltender Jacy Akre for what ended up being the only goal of the game, resulting in a 1-0 Melville win. The Prairie Fire won despite being outshot 32-20.
The next day, the Sharks again outshot the Prairie Fire in an afternoon contest at Battleford Arena, but ended up on the wrong end of a 5-4 decision.
Theresa Lankart got the first Melville goal before Jetta Derenoski scored on a power play and Taylor Cave responded for the Sharks in the first.
Melville then took the lead in the second with goals from Braden and Brooklyn McKenna, but in the third the Sharks came back and retook the advantage on two goals by Morgan Fraser.
A shorthanded goal by McKenna and the game winner by Sarah Fiske put an end to what had to be a disappointing weekend for the Sharks. Despite outshooting their opponents 42-34 Sunday and playing well enough to win through the entire weekend, the Sharks just could not get in the win column against Melville.
Akre stopped 29 of 34 shots to keep the Sharks in it, but Nicole Clay got the win in net for Melville.
With 26 games in the books and league playoffs fast approaching, the Sharks' objective for their remaining games of the regular season is simply to improve on the two wins and three OT defeats they have this season, which count for seven points in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League standings.
The Sharks hit the road this weekend for two games against Swift Current, which will wrap up the regular season.
