Slow start but strong finish for Huskies
Thanks to a third period turnaround the Huskie women’s hockey team earned a point in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Alberta Pandas on Saturday night at Merlis Belsher Place. The Pandas dominated the first two periods of play. Jayden Mordenn scored first and second period goals, then Hayleigh Craig put her name on the scoresheet with a shorthanded marker with 5:21 remaining in the middle frame.
The Pandas outshot the Huskies 19-8 in the first 40 minutes on their way to the 3 goal advantage. “We were just not battling for pucks”, head coach Steve Kook said. When asked about his message to the team, he responded, “You have to play this game angry, you’ve got to get in their face.”
Saskatchewan took that message to heart, winning more puck battles and outshooting the Pandas 12-5 in the final frame. Shortly after Jayde Cadieux scored, midway through the third period, the Pandas took a penalty. The Huskies then cut the lead to one on Sara Kendall’s first goal of the night on the power play. The fourth-year forward from Ponteix found the net again 1:09 later to tie the game at 3.
Both teams had chances in the five-minute 3-on-3 overtime session although a Kaylee Hill penalty gave the Pandas a 4-on-3 advantage, limiting some of Saskatchewan’s zone time. A lengthy shootout followed. Brooklyn Stevely and Kahlen Wisener scored for Saskatchewan, while Payton Laumbach scored the first two goals of the shootout for Alberta. After Wisener failed to score on her second opportunity, Laumbach decided the game with her third marker in the 11th-round.