From not being sure if they’d have a team this year to making the league final, it was a long and rewarding journey for the Power Tech Bear Cats.
But a 3-1 loss in Regina in Game 3 of the South Saskatchewan Female Hockey League final last Thursday spelled the end of the Power Tech Bear Cats season – but what a season it was.
“We made it till the final game,” said Bear Cats head coach Trevor Morrison. “We took the top team to three. A bounce or two the other way and we could have knocked them off. I’m proud of the girls and it was a good, long season. Obviously we wished we would have won but getting it to the final game and giving ourselves a chance, that’s what you’ve got to be proud of.”
The Bear Cats went right to the league final against the Regina Ravens one of the best midget AA girls hockey teams in the province and lost in three games after winning the first game of the three-game series Sunday in the Queen City.
Thursday, the Bear Cats went down 2-0 after four minutes, according to Morrison, and the team didn’t quite capitalize on the bounces from there on out.
“There were some bounces in the second period there but we took too long to get on the board,” said Morrison.
Marci LeBlanc’s third period goal, with the assist from Karleigh Mackenzie, made it 3-1 but it was too little too late for the Bear Cats.
“They got two real quick ones and we kind of fell out of synch there a little bit in the game. The clock kept ticking and we scored a late one but we needed it in the second period.”
When it was all said and done, LeBlanc led the team in scoring with 33 goals and 14 assists for 47 points, with Makenna Morrison tying her for the team lead in assists. Morgan Fayle led the league in appearances for goaltenders with 14, winning six, losing five and tying two with three shutouts. She went 5-2-0 in the playoffs, playing every minute of the Bear Cats’ run to the final.
This may be the Bear Cats’ final hurrah for the year. Although no decisions have been made, it will take a lot of willpower to keep the team at this level next year. The team will graduate a few players and some of the rest who could return may find seek to play midget AAA based on the year they’ve had.
“I think there’s seven graduating, and it depends on how many go to AAA,” said Morrison. ‘There definitely are some girls left that can play some higher hockey. They’re also talking about amalgamating with Weyburn for next year so there are some changes coming to girls hockey. I wish all the girls the best and hopefully they’re all coming to play next year, the ones that are eligible to play.”
