The Estevan peewee A Vipers came up with their best effort in Game 3 of the South Saskatchewan Female Hockey League (SSFHL) final, but it still wasn’t enough to defeat the Moose Jaw Mavericks. The Vipers dropped a 7-3 decision to the host Mavericks on Saturday afternoon in Game 3 of the best-of-three league final. Estevan had a chance to capture the league title four nights earlier at the Civic Auditorium, but lost 3-1 to the Mavericks in Game 2. Manager Brent Olfert said they won Game 1 3-2 on March 20 on the strength of their goaltending, and a three-minute stretch early in the third. But in Game 2 they didn’t play at the level needed. Game 3 was a solid team effort, despite the absence of Hannah Terrett. “We had two lines, and they got three lines, and they have a solid team there that is well-coached as well,” said Olfert. “They just wore us down. We kept the game close.” Morgan Kjersem for Estevan and Kaitlyn Gilroy for Moose Jaw traded goals to open Game 3. Kjersem scored less than four minutes into the first period, but Gilroy tied the game
with 7:36 to play in the first period. Kjersem scored again 25 seconds later to restore the one-goal advantage, but Gilroy tallied again a few minutes later. Sidney Ellingson’s goal with 55 seconds to play in the first gave Moose Jaw a 3-2 lead. Gilroy scored twice in the second to up Moose Jaw’s advantage to 5-2, but Kamri Olfert’s marker with 70 seconds to play in the frame pulled Estevan to within two. “The girls seemed to be
playing with a lot of jump, and then, just as the game went on, they wore down a little bit, and it got harder for us to put pucks in the net,” said Brent Olfert. The Vipers started taking chances in the third, but couldn’t convert on their opportunities. Ellingson and Jasmine Kohl in the final three minutes to round out the scoring. In Game 2, Ellingson scored with 17 seconds to play in the first period to give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead.
Kamri Olfert scored on a breakaway 26 seconds into the second period to tie the game. It remained tied until late in the second, when Gilroy and Ember Dusomme scored a little more than a minute apart to give Moose
the a two-goal lead that would remain after the third. Chloe Sorensen was in goal for both games. Brent Olfert said the team has made a lot of strides this season. They worked hard in practice, and
it showed in their skating and conditioning. The Vipers have six players graduating: Hannah Terrett, Kamri Olfert, Caydance Chapman, Paige Anderson, McKenna Walls and Kylie Davis.
