The Battlefords Sharks split two games against the Notre Dame Hounds last weekend at Battleford Arena. It was their first two home games of the year.
In their home opener Saturday night, the Hounds edged the Sharks 5-4 in a back-and-forth tilt.
Following a scoreless first period, Jetta Derenoski scored her first goal of the season on the power play to put the Sharks up 1-0 less than two minutes into the second. Landry Derdall picked up an assist on the goal.
The Hounds picked up the next two goals to take the lead. First, Jenna MacLean beat Sharks goalie Chloe Marshall 4:28 into the second. Less than five minutes later, Delayne Aikens scored an unassisted shorthanded goal to put the Hounds up 2-1.
With 5:23 left in the second, the Sharks leveled the score with another power-play goal. Morgan Fraser tallied her first of the season when she beat Victoria Bourassa. Laura Harper and Cassidy Fehr got assists on the goal.
Less than 1:30 later, the Hounds used the power play to regain their lead. Tana Terry's goal put Notre Dame up 3-2 heading into the third period.
The Sharks scored a shorthanded goal of their own early in the third to tie the game. Derenoski scored on Bourassa less than three minutes into the period to make it a 3-3 game.
Notre Dame responded with two goals less than five minutes apart. Natalia Taylor's goal 4:30 into the third put the Hounds up 4-3. They extended their lead to two on the power play on Aikens' second goal of the evening.
Fraser got her second goal of the game from Kailee McGarry with 3:41 to play to get the Sharks within one, but they were unable to find a second goal and fell 5-4.
Marshall made 16 saves in the loss for the Sharks. Bourassa stopped 26 of 30 shots in the Notre Dame win.
In the rematch Sunday afternoon, the Sharks skated to a 3-1 win over the Hounds.
Derenoski's third goal of the year opened the game's scoring for the Sharks. She was sprung on a breakaway by MacKenzie Cey. Dereonski's first shot was stopped, but she knocked the rebound past Hounds goaltender Amanda Zeglen 5:17 into the first.
The Sharks made it a two-goal game 1:30 later. After a scramble in front of the net, Derdall retrieved the puck at the blue line for the Sharks. Her point shot beat Zeglen for her first goal of the season. Kailee McGarry and Keara Amson picked up assists on the goal.
Later in the first, the Sharks almost extended their lead to three on a two-on-one. Cey and Derenoski passed the puck back and forth as they entered the Hounds' zone before Derenoski's shot was turned aside by Zeglen.
The Sharks controlled play for much of the first period, outshooting the Hounds 14-6.
In the second, Dereonski was stopped on an early breakaway attempt by Zeglen. Later, on a breakaway for the Hounds, Shelby Tornato turned aside MacKenzie Prouse.
Early in the third, Harper gave the Sharks a three-goal lead. The puck was loose in front of the net. As players whacked away at it, Harper knocked the puck into the net 58 seconds into the period.
Tornato's shutout bid was ended late in the third period. After making the initial save, Teagan Lubiniecki put the puck past Tornato with 1:44 left in the game.
It was as close as the Hounds would get as the Sharks killed the final moments of the game to earn a 3-2 win, their first of the season.
Tornato stopped 22 of 23 shots faced on the afternoon for the win. Zeglen was busy as she made 32 saves in a losing effort for the Hounds.
The Sharks' next action is Saturday and Sunday against the 2014 Esso Cup champion Weyburn Gold Wings. Earlier this year, the Sharks lost twice to the Gold Wings in Weyburn. Saturday's game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. start. Their rematch Sunday begins at 1 p.m.
