Team NL Female
Roster/Schedule Link: https://cg2023.gems.pro/Result/ShowTeam.aspx?Team_GUID=6149d63c-8508-4b49-8de9-12fc24b3b884&SetLanguage=en-CA
Where to Watch:
Feb 27 @ 1 pm NL time vs NWT – https://www.canadagames.ca/watch/hockey-female-nl-vs-nt-february-27-en
Feb 28 @ 1 pm NL time vs Yukon – https://www.canadagames.ca/watch/hockey-female-nl-vs-yt-february-28
March 1 @ 1 pm NL time vs PEI – https://www.canadagames.ca/watch/hockey-female-pe-vs-nl-march-1
Number of Players to Attend VHG for at least 1 hour since inception: 18 of 20 (90%)
Articles/Multimedia Related to Team NL CWG:
Talking about the strong 2024 grad class on Team NL in this article – https://vhghockey.ca/is-the-female-2024-recruiting-class-the-deepest-in-nl-history/
Talking Shattuck St. Mary’s talent Leah Wicks (video) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15AviKhxiH4&t=6s
Female Hockey NL Web Site – see U18AAA Female stats/standings here – https://femalehockeynl.ca/
Game 1 vs NWT (1 pm)
** I missed the first half of the first period because the game link was under the wrong ‘spot’ on the CWG web site. My phone was blowing up with people asking and I didn’t know until Kim Lannon texted me (thank you Kim!)
** I turned the game on just in time to see RNS defenceman Sadie Brown rip one from the point and past the NWT goaltender to make it 3-0. Brown has a heavy shot and doesn’t need much time to get it off, as this goal was only a half wind-up clapper.
** Shots entering the last minute of play of the 3rd period; 28-0 NL. Ellie Luttitte (sp) had a great first between the NWT pipes.
** It says NWT are winning 3-0 on the stream, but it’s actually 3-0 NL. Very clear, not-blurry stream though (two weeks in a row, two thumbs up).
** What a nice pass by Mollie Power to Haley Ryan on the PP; Power has a set of hands (as does Ryan). Did not lead to a goal, but as a skills coach, you love to see a well-executed saucer pass in a game situation.
** Gotta get the puck upstairs on rebounds in traffic. Luttitte likes to go down and spread the pads, and ya ain’t scoring along the ice in tight on goalies who play that way!
** Bethany Pitcher converted on a beautiful cross-ice pass by Allie Hancock to make it 4-0 good guys. This was a nice play by jack-of-all-trades forward Molly Gill, playing off-side wing and making a nice bump pass on the wall to the streaking Hancock. That goal was how ya draw it up in practice – beauty!
** Bethany Pitcher picks up her 2nd goal of the match in the 2nd off a nice middle drive ‘n dish by Jess Mercer. Pitcher has been picking corners in this period – a strong 200-foot winger with some size and smarts.
** NL have gotten lots of pucks through from the point in this game, and the 6th NL goal was a direct result of a Maria Shea seeing eye single. NL has seemingly broken it open late in the second stanza.
** The final score in this one was 9-0 NL; the third period was what Jeremy Kavanagh would call ‘a slog in the mud’; a slower period with the game in hand for the Rock. Games like this are often tough to play, especially when the score is on the high side because you don’t want to insult the other team by going too hard, but going easy can lead to injury and.. insulting the other team because you’re not trying. Those types of games, the best way to play them when up is quick shifts, maybe work on a 1-2-2 or 2-3 something you might throw at a higher-ranking team in the tournament, and move the puck quickly/accurately. Just keep a rhythm.
** Lacy Bigelow earns the win in goal for NL, which likely means that Jenny Murphy will get the net for NL against the Yukon tomorrow at lunch time.
Game 2 vs Yukon
** NL look to have made some line-up changes in this hockey game. Leah Wicks looks to be on the back end, which is her natural position. This means a 7-11 scenario on the NL bench.
** First goal of the tournament for Olivia Sparkes as a result of some nice down-low work in the offensive zone by Hillary Taylor and – roughly 15 seconds before that – nice puck movement by Sadie Brown. Brown gets pucks to the net, skates well, strong on the PK and moves the puck hard when in open space.
** After the goal, Yukon saw a flurry of activity in their own end but Jenny Murphy stood tall. Murphy looks very comfortable in this spot today as an ’08.
** Mollie Power has so much patience with the puck. I’m over-the-hill, adding bad weight to my frame and relatively slow, but I would score a bushel of goals playing with Mollie Power. That is for certain.
** One common theme with this NL team so far is – the quality of chances are there, but the ‘killer instinct’ around the net hasn’t made its way to PEI just yet. A lot of pucks have hit the Yukon goaltender right in the logo so far. I’ll never forget the Clarenville Caribous Secret Santa in ’08, when my buddy gave my other buddy a shooter tutor with the chest cut out of it as a gag gift (signifying he shot a lot of pucks into the goalies body). Gotta finish some of these Grade A chances! Yes – NL scored 6 in this hockey game BUT I still believe we left a lot of goals on the table today.
** NL made it 2-0 on the Power Play with Haley Ryan burying a sweet Mollie Power feed from the flank to the bumper position. I don’t think I have ever seen Haley Ryan celebrate with such enthusiasm and I have coached her for many years. Good for you Haley!
** Leah Wicks makes it 3-0 with a very… Leah Wicks-esque goal. Nifty backhand touch.
** The Yukon managed to obtain a penalty shot in the second period and converted on it. 3-1 NL. I honestly thought the penalty shot wasn’t a penalty at all, but a master class in getting underneath a stick on the back-check by Jessica Mercer.
** NL are really activating their defence in this period, which I like because they have a lot of speed. They also have a lot of energy by virtue of dressing 7 D. This activation in the O Zone led to a Jess Mercer goal, a puck that seemingly laid at the side of the crease for anyone in the vicinity to bury.
** When together, the line of Drover-Ryan-Gill looks like they have been playing together since childhood. Or maybe they have. I’ve been saying to anyone who cares to listen that Molly Gill can play! An under-rated player no doubt.
** Speak of the devil – Molly Gill with the 5th goal to really sink the Yukon’s sails in this hockey game.
** NL’s D continued to be active in this hockey game; I don’t think you’ll see such activity vs PEI tomorrow, as coach Rebecca Babiak will see this on tape and find ways to create odd-mans. It’s a warning heeded. Babs is somewhere in PEI scouting this game right now, that is for certain.
** Make the final 6-1 Team NL, as they improve to 2-0 in the tournament. Yukon fall to 0-2 and face the NWT tomorrow, while the big match in Pool C goes down Wednesday at lunch time in Charlottetown.
Game 3 vs PEI
** A real carnival-like atmosphere at the Maclaughlan Arena in Charlottetown for this grudge match! This might be the largest crowd both of these teams have ever played in front of – will be interesting to see how each team handles its emotions early.
** Coach Babiak in her Tiger Wood’s Sunday red for this battle.
** NL will start Kitchen-Taylor-Sparkes-Bugden-Mercer and are in their dark tops, much to the delight of Chad Brinson who… loves the NL dark tops.
** Olivia Sparkes – for the second day in a row – gets NL on the board! A bang-bang play to the slot with Sparkey going to the net for the rebound – that is what you have to do against this goaltender who will stop a lot of direct first shots.
** Leah Wicks will hit a ‘Michigan’ in this tournament, mark it down.
** There have been some very, very close icing calls in this game so far; one for either team.
** A back-and-forth first period with NL having a couple of glorious odd-man opportunities late in the period that I think they would like to have back. In a game as tight as this one, you have to get while the gettin’s good eh b’y!
** NL’s first taste of adversity in the tournament as a player who I like on PEI – Petra Klimes – buries off the half-circle walk. Klimes skates well, has a big body and has a good motor suitable as a role player at the next level potentially. 1-1 tie ballgame halfway into the second.
** The red island scored again at 12:56, a hard-nosed goal. PEI have momentum right now.
** NL got some of that momentum back in the latter half of the second period, with numerous goalmouth scrambles that just refused to find the back of the PEI net.
** NL ties it up off a pro goal – Mercer with the middle zone entry and kick-out wide ‘n drive, nice lay in by Cassie Drover. Beautiful net drive by Mercer. Mercer needs plenty of touches to finish this game.
** The game was frozen at 2 and needed extra time to decide a victor. PEI won the face-off and snuck a forward in behind the NL trio, and whoever had the breakaway made absolutely no mistake in ripping the puck by Lacy Bigelow. 3-2 OT loss for the Newfoundlanders; PEI avenge the beat-down sustained on the male side last week in Summerside with this soul-crushing win on home ice.
** I’m no mathematician, but my guess here is the Newfoundland and Labrador squad will face Team New Brunswick tomorrow while Team PEI will lock up with Team Manitoba. Both provinces are 0-3 in their respective pools, but it would appear that New Brunswick has the best goals for-against ratio between the two.
Game 4 vs New Brunswick
** Great start for Team NL; this is going to be a battle right to the end.
** Good analysis by the commentators in this game. Good insights.
** NL have to keep a close eye on the RNS faction of Eustace-Wood squared line. That line was dangerous every time they were on the ice in the first half of the game.
** This is a heavyweight tilt. NL have been moving the puck beautifully in transition tonight, utilizing their highly-skilled D to hit forwards in flight.
** NL is shooting the puck today vs being too fancy. This blogger is loving it.
** NL score to make it 1-0 but you could argue that NL had 6 men on the ice for about…a month. But eh b’y! Take ’em.
** NL tilted the ice for about 5 mins in the second period. Crazy pressure. Hillary Taylor capitalized off a Mollie Power centering pass (stayed with the rebound). This was a goal where an old friend used to say ‘wrap a twist tie around that one’. They all count!
** Earlier in the period, Hillary Wood had a tremendous look on a breakaway vs Jenny Murphy but denied by the stud young ‘tender. Murphy has been a brick wall so far in this game.
** It’s 1-0 NL after 2 periods; NL are burning the candle at both ends right now, taking some penalties and putting a lot of weight on the shoulders of Murphy and their ‘killers.
** Ava Wood goes to the box for boarding to end the period – Wood’s a dog on the puck, the intent wasn’t to harm. Hope Drover is OK. Drover back out to start the third – good to see.
** Haley Ryan had 2 looks in the 3rd period that the NB goalie Michaud was up to the task on. Man, the goaltending was flawless on both sides in this hockey game. Michaud is lightning quick laterally and has great instincts, electing not to go down on some shots that are high.
** NB’s first goal was a nice move by the NB forward at the NB blue, which turned into a footrace. NL was a 1/4 step away from deflecting the puck into the rafters, but instead, it is 1-1.
** NL have thrown everything except the kitchen sink at Michaud in this game, but cannot buy one.
** NB make it 2-1 with about 5 minutes remaining in the game; a tough bounce as a matter of fact. The puck bounced out into the middle of the ice, with no one home for NL. NB shot the puck, which rode up the NL defenders stick and into the top shelf. In most worlds, that puck sails high and over the net – but not today unfortunately.
** NL pressed onward, electing to use their time-out after the goal to settle everyone down. NB did not use their time-out late in this game when they had a face-off deep in their zone.
** Vic Rauter ‘make the final’ 2-1 NB; an exciting, back-and-forth thrill ride that had my heart racing throughout. We had posts, great breakaway saves, stretches of the game where momentum was heavily on either teams side… you gotta love it!
** NB will move on to face one of the top-seeded teams in the ‘Games, while NL will have another date with Prince Edward Island tomorrow.
** I’m leaving this game with a much different vibe than I did with the NS-NL guys game last week. This was a game where I felt the girls left it all on the table, while in the guys game, I felt that we had a lot more in the tank. This was a 15-round boxing match that was decided by the judges, vs the NL-NS game was more of a 9th round K.O. Either way, proud of both groups!
Game 5 vs PEI
** Feels like we hit the snooze button numerous times before this one, because we came out asleep and it kind of carried into our play in the first.
** PEI are on the board first in this one. A goal where NL did not have any forwards tracking back to the loose change who happened to be none other than ’09 Mossey, who is going to be an absolute stud if she continues to develop.
** Brooklyn Kitchen has had some Grade-A looks in the past 24 hours but hasn’t been able to pull the trigger. The Bell Island sniper is usually clutch in those scenarios.
** Jessica Mercer hit two crossbars in virtually the identical location to open the second period. What a tough break for the NL squad who is really needing some juice in this game.
** NL goal! Drover to Brown to Ryan back to Drover, who shoots and gets her own rebound to tie this game up at 1. Hopefully this energizes the NL squad!
** It was very nice to see the pass-first Mollie Power being a shooter on a 2-on-1 midway through the second. Take what the defender gives ya, and she gave #16 shot all the way. NL are playing with more pace since the goal.
** PEI have counter-punched since the 2-on-1; I also feel the NL have gotten away with some penalties in this period because of a ‘reach’ mentality.
** PEI’s coaches were NOT happy about a too many men call with less than 6 minutes left in the 2nd. It was one of those situations where the optics looked like too many men – puck goes over by the gate where multiple players are changing, but I’d have to go back to count the heads.
** To keep PEI’s PK honest, trying a down-low play where the net front player slides just off to the side of the net for a little stuff would open up their other options.
** Hillary Taylor has really been buzzing the past two games. The Grand Falls-Windsor native just drew a penalty for coming off the face-off circle like a shot out of a cannon, beating one D and getting hauled down by the other.
** 1-1 after the second period. Feel like I’m watching the same movie at times; unable to convert goalmouth scrambles, lacking that ‘killer instinct’.
** Great start to the 3rd period. Next goal is big.
** NL get the next goal! Olivia Sparkes – who one could argue has been one of – if not THE – most consistent forward for NL at this tournament, catches a pass in the slot and gets it off her stick in a hurry. Nice catch and release off a nice dish from… I believe it was Hillary Taylor.
** NL 3rd goal scored by Mollie Power with the man advantage. Power took a Wicks feed and one-timed a shot that hit a defencemans skate in front and found its way into the cage. I am in full support of a shoot-first mentality in female hockey; move the puck to move the killers, take it to a scoring area and let it rip with net front presence. There ya have it.
** 3-1 Win for the good guys in this one, avenging the round robin loss two days before. For PEI, it was apparent that their staff were not happy with the officiating in this game and some of it was warranted.
** NL clinch 9th place at the Canada Games on both the men’s and women’s side. Jenny Murphy gets the win in NL’s net, cementing her status as one of the best under-aged goaltenders at the event…. is it 2027 yet? See you in 4 years, blog readers!