The Estevan Power Tech midget AA Panthers took most of the night off during their 1-1 tie against the Weyburn Aaron Well Servicing Drillers at Affinity Place on Tuesday.
“I'm disappointed,” said Panthers head coach Trevor Morrison. “We didn't have any finish. Sure we had some shots, but we just weren't hungry around the net and we didn't have a very good effort for the majority of the game.”
Both teams came out of the gate slow with the Drillers (7-10-3) earning the first good opportunity to light the lamp on a shot from the top of the circle by defenceman Haley Labbie. Panthers wingers Tasia Trobert and Jasynn Monteyne teamed up for Estevan's best chance early with both players converging on the Drillers net 13 minutes into the opening frame in an attempt to whack in a rebound only to be stymied by goalie Taryn McKinney.
Drillers forward Rhys Englot broke the goose egg 1:42 into the second period jamming the puck past Panthers goaltender Morgan Fayle's pad and the post off an offensive zone faceoff. The goal seemed to wake the Panthers up with the team generating more shots on goal, but most were still of the low-quality variety.
“We were shooting high, giving her easy saves,” said Morrison. “So the shot total was running, but not the shots we wanted or the rebounds. Lots of times it was one shot and done.”
The Panthers had a quality opportunity to tie the game midway through the third period with two Drillers sitting in the penalty box for 1:25, but the only scoring chance the team could muster was a shot from the point by Aston Magotiaux with Karli Colpitts waiting at the side of the net for a rebound that never came. Makenna Morrison scored the equalizer five seconds after the Drillers second penalty expired by picking up a pass in the slot from Kenzie Balon and firing the puck top corner glove side.
Both teams went back and forth over the remaining nine minutes of the contest with Weyburn's Kaycee Mullinger gaining the best chance to score with a shot from the top of the crease off a pass from Jocelyn Mish only to have Fayle turn her away.
The Panthers (12-2-4) travel to Swift Current this weekend where they'll play two games against the Swift Current Full Line Ag Broncos (6-8-4). Morrison said the Broncos are a well coached team that works hard, so the girls will have to bring a good effort to come away with two wins.
“Tonight we had effort at times, but not always a smart effort,” he said. “So going forward heading into playoffs and provincials we need to have a smart effort and play as close to 60 solid minutes a game as we can.”
