Coming into Sunday night, the Regina Ravens had only lost one game in regulation in the South Saskatchewan Female Hockey League’s midget AA division in the regular season and the playoffs.
The Estevan Power Tech Bear Cats made that loss number two on the season by going into Regina and putting a 3-2 score on them at Regina’s Co-Operators No. 6 rink.
“They played us in the big rink, too and the girls played very well,” said Bear Cats coach Trevor Morrison.
“We scored the first goal early in the first period and took a 1-0 lead after one. They came back and tied it up but we got another goal at the end of the second so we took a 2-1 lead into the third. Then we were able to score to go up 3-1 and then they scored with about three and a half minutes left to make it 3-2. The fun was on and we were able to hold on for the 3-2 win.”
Makenna Morrison scored once and Marci LeBlanc added two goals as the Bear Cats took a 1-0 stranglehold in the best of three league final. Morgan Fayle once again started between the pipes and held the fort late when the Ravens attempted a comeback.
Keeping the Ravens at bay means playing a tight checking game person-to-person and not giving them a lot of space.
“I thought the girls did that really well throughout the whole game,” Trevor Morrison said. “Neutral zone, there was a couple turnovers and the team got a couple of goals off the turnovers. That’s going to a key going forward. They had more power plays than us but we picked up a shorthanded goal so I was really happy with special teams.
“Overall, every girl in the lineup had a very good game.”
In the previous round, the Ravens had beaten the Swift Current Broncos in two straight, outscoring them 10-2. In the first round, they took the Notre Dame Hounds out behind the woodshed and beat them in two straight, outscoring them 22-1.
The Ravens hadn’t lost in regulation in the league since Oct. 5, 2017 to the Moose Jaw Mavericks.
But the Bear Cats were able to beat them in no small part to the fact they’ve kept the Ravens close on the scoresheet in some previous games.
“We played them four times and we had three very close games,” said Morrison. “The last time we played them, they got us by a little bit but we didn’t do anything. We just went out and (Sunday) we matched up a little bit. The girls were ready. I thought they did a very good job.”
Game Two will be Tuesday night at the Power Dodge Ice Centre while Game Three, if needed, will go Thursday in Regina.
The winner of this series will play for the provincial crown against the winner of the North Saskatchewan Female Hockey League bantam AA final series between the Saskatoon Legends and the Saskatoon Impact. That best-of-three series is tied at one game apiece with game three scheduled for Wednesday night.
