For the female midget AAA Battlefords Sharks, their playoff opponent this weekend was an imposing one by any standard.
The Sharks drew the top seed in the entire league in the Saskatoon Stars for their first-round playoff series. The first place Stars had lost only four times all season and had scored 117 goals.
It would have been a daunting matchup for any team in the league. Still, the Sharks wished they had more luck on their side in the first game Friday night in Saskatoon, as the Stars posted a 7-1 win.
Joelle Fiala and Kianna Dietz gave Saskatoon a 2-0 lead in the first, but the Sharks' Dakota Peterson scored from Kyra Ledoux to keep the Sharks within a goal through one period.
It stayed a one goal game until just after the midway point of the second, and from there on the Stars exploded.
Grace Shirley, Rayna Jacobson, Julia Rongve and Mackenna Parker all scored, and that would be it for Sharks netminder Chloe Marshall who had stopped 25 of 31 shots.
Shelby Tornato went the rest of the way for the Sharks and stopped 26 of 27 shots the rest of the way, with only the Stars' Fiala scoring in the third period to finish the scoring on the day. Overall, the Stars overwhelmed the Sharks in shots on goal. Sharks netminders faced a total of 58 shots while Stars goalie Emma Johnson faced only 11 in the win for Saskatoon.
Game two was Sunday at Battleford Arena, where the Sharks hoped the home crowd would help their cause.
But once again the Stars took the early lead as they fired home four goals in the first period. A power play goal from Willow Slobodzian (with Jordan Kulbida off for hooking), followed by even strength markers by Anna Leschyshyn, Kianna Dietz and Slobodzian again for her second of the game, put the Stars ahead 4-0 after one period.
But the Sharks came out flying to begin the second period. They got their first goal of the game just 14 seconds into the period as Keara Amson scored from Cassidy Carlson and Dakota Peterson to make it 4-1.
The Sharks scored again at the 5:08 mark as Teagan Sochaski scored from Tiffani Empey to make it 4-2.
But midway through the period Mackenna Parker beat Marshall to make it 5-2. At 17:09 Jordyn Holmes added one more to make it 6-2 Saskatoon through second period.
The Stars added three more goals in the third period from Parker, Abby Shirley and Danielle Nogier to complete a 9-2 win over the Sharks. Final shots favoured Saskatoon 52-16.
Down two games to none to the Stars, the Sharks were due to return to action for game three in Saskatoon Wednesday night, with their season on the line.
