The Battlefords AAA Sharks played three tight games against the Saskatoon Stars in the SMFAAAHL. The Sharks won two of the three games played between the teams.
The Sharks used the shootout to beat Saskatoon Jan. 30 by a score of 2-1 at the Battleford Arena.
Mallory Roy opened the scoring for the Sharks on the power play with 6:38 remaining in the first period. The Stars used a late second period power play to even the game. Katie Tupper beat Sharks goaltender Rachel Mitchell with 1:44 left in the second.
No one broke the tie in the third period or overtime. The referees were busy during regulation. There were a total of 18 penalties called, split evenly between the teams.
In the shootout, Roy beat Stars goaltender Emma Johnson in the second round. Mitchell stopped all three Saskatoon shooters to give the Sharks their second shootout win of the season.
Mitchell made 34 saves in the Sharks' win. Johnson stopped 27 shots and was stuck with the loss.
The two teams met again Saturday night in Saskatoon. Danielle Nogier's two goals and an assist led the Stars to a 4-3 win over the Sharks.
Laura Harper struck first for the Sharks five minutes into the game, beating Stars goaltender Karlee Fetch. The Stars tied the game less than three minutes later. Brittany Heuchert found the back of the net with 12:22 remaining in the first. Sophia Shirley gave the Stars a 2-1 lead with a power play goal with 3:24 to play.
In the second, the Sharks tied the game early in the period. Morgan Fraser scored 5:31 into the second. Nogier scored her first of two goals about two minutes later, putting the Stars back in front. Fraser tied the game again with a power play goal less than a minute later, sending the game to the third period tied at three.
The Stars broke the tie late in the third. Nogier's second goal of the game with 3:42 left put Saskatoon ahead for good.
Fetch stopped 17 of 20 shots in Saskatoon's win. Mitchell made 31 saves in the loss.
The Sharks and Stars met for the third time in six days Tuesday night. Latashea Frohlich scored the overtime winner as the Sharks beat the Stars 4-3 at the Battleford Arena.
The teams traded chances for the first half of the opening period. The Sharks struck first 9:20 into the game. Jetta Deronoski found a loose puck in front of the Stars' net and knocked it past Fetch.
The Stars tied the game with over five minutes to play in the first. Mitchell stopped Allisha Siemens' shot, but the rebound bounced over her head and rolled into the net.
Mitchell kept the Sharks in the game for the remainder of the period. She made a nice stop on a slap shot from Heuchert. Later in the first, Alyssa Alger saved a goal for the Sharks. She took a hooking penalty when she got her stick in on Heuchert as she drove to the net.
Battlefords regained their lead five minutes into the second. Jesse Starr and Keinyn Nordell worked the puck around to Kelsea Sperling. Her slap shot from the point beat Fetch high in the net. It was Sperling's first goal of the season and her teammates grabbed the puck for her.
With two Sharks in the penalty box, the Stars tied the game midway through the second. After Mitchell made a save, the puck was loose in the crease. All eight skaters on the ice were around the net trying to find it. Sophia Shirley got her stick on the puck and jammed it home.
In the third, the Stars grabbed their first lead seven minutes into the period. Shirley dug the puck out from behind the Sharks' net. Her centring pass found Julia Rongve, who snapped it by Mitchell's blocker.
The Stars almost put the game away late in the third. Starr was forced to take a tripping penalty to stop a breakaway attempt. She narrowly avoided causing a penalty shot.
After the penalty, the Sharks pulled their goalie. With the extra attacker, Deronoski's shot was stopped by Fetch, who did not cover the puck. Starr made up for her penalty and tapped the rebound home to tie the game with 20 seconds left.
The action was back and forth in overtime. Near the end of the overtime period, Frohlich skated into the zone and beat Fetch for the game winner with 27 seconds remaining in the extra frame.
Mitchell stopped 33 shots to pick up her third win of the season. Fetch made 24 saves in the loss for the Stars.
Battlefords finish up their regular season Feb. 16 in Saskatoon against these same Stars.
