Jan 07, 2013 | bmiller | 536 views
Novice Girls Split Games Away From Home
The Peninsula Predators girls novice 'C' team went south for a couple of exhibition games this past week and managed to win one and lose the other.
The first game was a rematch with the very strong St Marys Rock team from who they played at the Stratford Aces Cup Challenge earlier this season in November.
The girls who lost in November 8 to 0 to St Marys and never recorded a shot on net during that game were out to see if they had improved as a team and used it as a mid season gauge for their season.
The game was much closer this time around as the Predators were out shot 24 to 4 in the 6 to 0 loss.
Laura Naves was terrific for her team in net and really couldn't help if 4 of the goals were scored as the team managed to score on themselves either by accidental passes, clear out attempts or deflections in the first period including one goal on each of the first 2 shifts of the game. But the team settled down and displayed an excellent team defence work ethic the remainder of the game.
Maggie Klunder, Sydney McArthur each recorded 2 shots on net for the Predators and Ashlin Stewart & Chesney Miller were close on so many plays but just missed the net on their attempts to add to the Predator shot count.
When the game was over, the St Marys team coaching staff were quite surprised and impressed with how much these girls have improved so far from the last time the two teams had played.
Especially since the team was without team veterans Maizy Hutchinson and Madeline Linklater on defence due to their commitment to the Novice Rep program. Both of those girls were just amazing vs St Marys in the Stratford tournament.
St Marys Rock team is ranked #2 for all 'C' category teams in Ontario thus far and may be bumped to 'B' real soon, so this was a great test for our team and a real good way for our girls to feel good about them selves going forward.
Great job girls, the coaches and parents are proud of your progress so far!
Top digger and hardest worker awards went to Ashlin Stewart and Laura Naves.
Defence women Morgan Daries was terrific in her own end at getting the puck up the boards and a pair of right wingers in Payton Lisk and Gillian Warren were also equal to the task to help clear the zone and win all the battles along the boards.
The second game on the road saw the Predators ladies travel to Mitchell to take on the Mitchell Meteors.
The Predators won the game 3 to 0 and scored a goal in the first period and two more in the 3rd period.
Sydney McArthur put up a couple of assists to give her a team leading 7 points on the season thus far as the girls played excellent defence and seemed to grind down the Mitchell team with their speed and hustle along the boards.
Laura Naves got her first win of the season in the girls program and her first shutout as well.
Laura made 9 saves as the Predators out shot the Meteors 18 to 9.
Tyke members Sahara Weatherhead and Marissa Rouse were both great positionally in the game and Marissa ended up taking home the top digger award for the game.
Chesney Miller took home the hardest worker of the game award and defence women, Gracie Wheeler who was fevered and not expected to play earlier that day, had her strongest game of the season and was just awesome at keeping the puck in the other teams end zone all game long.
Congrats girls on your first road win of the season and on your recent play over the holidays.
Next action for the novice Predators is on Saturday, Jan 12th in Southhampton at 6 p.m. vs the Saugeen Shores Storm.