Fresh off a two-week break, the Estevan Power Dodge peewee A Vipers came flying out of the gate on Sunday to down the Weyburn Canadian Tire Angels 6-1 at the Civic Auditorium.
The Vipers controlled the play in the early goings continually striking at the Weyburn goal, but could not beat Angels netminder Riley Schultz. Estevan's Hannah Terret felt the bite of the Weyburn goalie five minutes into the first period when Schultz collapsed into a butterfly position to stone Terret on a breakaway.
Bailey Farr first got Estevan on the board seven-and-a-half minutes into the opening period when she deposited an Adah De Leeuw rebound into the bottom corner from the top of the crease. Terret got Schultz back with three minutes left in the first period by snapping a second rebound past the goaltender and into the open glove side to give Estevan a 2-0 lead heading into the middle frame.
“With our team, we normally go (into the room to) make sure that we get them pumped up and get them out there and get the first goal on the board,” said Vipers assistant coach Jordan Lonsberry. “Usually we start rolling once we get the first goal.”
Both teams exchanged chances through the first five minutes of the second when Viper Brynn Kuntz picked up the puck deep in her own zone and rushed it end-to-end before firing a shot top corner to put Estevan up by three. Terret notched her second of the afternoon a little over three minutes later when she deflected a puck from the high slot over Schultz, off the crossbar and in. The Vipers went up 5-0 with three minutes left in the period courtesy of a bullet from De Leeuw from the hashmarks that found the top corner.
“We're a little faster, but they're pretty good,” said Vipers defenceman Kiley Davis, noting the team got the upper hand on Weyburn thanks to their superior skating. “We just try our hardest and work together.”
After Farr put the home side up 6-0 a little over five minutes into the third period on a wrist shot that beat Schultz five-hole, the Angels put the pressure on the Vipers defence continually peppering Estevan goaltender Keara Merriman from both in-close and the outside. Weyburn's Kate Goranson snapped home a shot through a screen into the top corner on Merriman with eight minutes left, but that was all that would get past her.
Merriman said she was seeing the puck well in the game, and that proved itself late when she made a strong pad save off a Keely O'Neill shot from the point with five minutes left before reaching back with her glove to steal a sure goal by Ayva Mason with just over a minute remaining.
“Keara always keeps the girls in the game,” added Lonsberry. “She is an unreal goalie.”
Lonsberry said the Vipers (13-0) will try to keep their South Saskatchewan Female Hockey League winning streak intact as the team heads into the final month-and-a-half of the regular season schedule, which also includes an exhibition match against the Estevan peewee boys' Thunder Jan. 17 at the Civic Auditorium. She said the other clubs are starting to play better making the task a bit tougher for the girls, but that is also a good thing considering they'll face better competition.
“We're going to try (to stay undefeated),” said Davis. “I think we can.”
