After having the wheels fall off in the third period of the both of the last two games, the Ice vowed not to allow that to happen on Friday night in Portage. The game started with high hopes of putting together a full 60 minutes and getting a win against a tough team from Central Plains. The teams traded chances early on and it seemed like both teams settled in to their game plans. The Capitals were relentless on the forecheck all night long, which took away time and space from the Ice players. Midway through the period, the Capitals scored from a tough angle to take a one nothing lead, followed by another odd goal a few minutes later to take a 2-0 lead. The Ice did not want to let this game get away from them, so they pushed back and Jane Roxburgh got the Ice closer with a goal late in the first period , after some very hard work from her linemates. Carley Jewell, playing her first game at forward this season, and Ashley Kubic assisted on Jane's goal. A tough first period ended with a 2-1 deficit, but the Ice were confident they could make a game of this. The Capitals pressed hard in that period but Michelle Kerdes was very good in net. Two mistakes led to the Capitals first two goals, so the Ice players spoke of eliminating mistakes and staying the course in the second period. The Capitals came on strong in the second period, but the Ice were equal to the task as the game wore on. Off of face-off in the second, the Capitals found a loose puck and took it to the net, and found a way to make it 3-1. Before the end of the second period, a very impressive Capitals powerplay made it 4-1 on a bullet of a shot from the point. Again, Kerdes was solid in net, but two very skilled plays cashed in for the Capitals. In an odd situation, the Ice talked about how the second period was better than the first, despite allowing two goals. The team did minimize their mistakes, but they weren't able to cash in like the Capitals did. The third period started with the Ice showing a few signs of nervousness, not wanting to allow the third period to get away from them, as it did the last two games. The Capitals pushed hard to seal the deal, but Michelle Kerdes was exceptional in net in this period. The effort and intensity did not fade for the Ice in this third period, but the Capitals proved to be too much on this night, as they added another late goal to win 5-1.
Another tough loss, left more questions than answers...but the effort didn't fade in the third. The loss makes 6 straight to open the season. Plain and simple, the Ice need to find a way to get a win and build from there. The longer it takes to win, the harder it gets. Nobody in the Winnipeg Ice camp is happy about this start, but this event is not a sprint...it's a marathon. Stay the course. Believe.
~Coach
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
40 minutes is just not enough...
For the second straight time, the Winnipeg Ice fell victim to a disastrous third period, and the Pembina Valley Hawks made them pay, just as the Avros did 5 days earlier. The scoreline doesn't really tell the whole story, but the Winnipeg Ice simply did not have an answer to the Hawks powerplay or their raised level of play in the third period.
The game began with the teams trading chances back and forth, but the Hawks managed to open the scoring 7 and a half minutes into the game on a powerplay. Falling behind has not really been a recipe for success for the Ice so far this season, but to the players' credit they refused to back down and they pushed back. The bench was alive and the players were set on tying it up quickly. 3 minutes after they scored the opening goal, the Hawks scored again on the powerplay (their third one of the period) to make it 2-0. One could sense the air being let out of the Ice's sails, as despite the penalty trouble, they were playing a solid game. Finally, just over a minute later, Rielle Chwartacki scored on the powerplay to bring the Ice back within a goal at intermission. Chantel Olson and and Michelle Anderson assisted on that goal. Kathleen Kosior was excellent in net, stopping 20 of the 22 shots she faced in the first period. The second period started the way the first ended, as the Ice had renewed hope that they could come back in this game. A few chances here and there, left both teams pressing for the next goal. Pembina Valley managed to stretch their lead to 4-1 with 2 goals 5 minutes apart, before the Ice replied with less than 1 minute to go in the second period, when Elizabeth Carter threw one on net and it somehow found a way to beat the Hawks goalie. At 4-2, after 2, the Ice knew that the next goal was key. The players spoke about getting off to a good start as well as being patient, but they also stressed the importance of scoring one early in the third. Most of all, what was seemingly understood was that they had played a pretty tough 40 minutes and that it would take the same gritty effort...and then some...to find a way to even the game up. The players vowed to keep up the effort and intensity and they filed out of the dressing with the confidence that a good result was within their grasp. Unfortunately for the Ice, as was the case in their last game, the third period ended up being their worst. The Hawks dominated the entire period, though the Ice held them off the scoreboard for the first 9 minutes of the period. In a game where it seemed the Ice were constantly on the penalty kill, they took 3 more penalties in the third and PV scored their third powerplay goal of the game to seal the deal with two minutes left. They added another goal just 1 minute later. The Ice did not find the level they needed to in the third period and the Hawks took advantage. The Hawks scored 4 goals in the third to win 8-2.
The room was quiet afterwards, obviously, and the players spoke with disappointment in their voices. Disappointed that they couldn't keep their level of play up where it needed to be for 60 minutes. Disappointed that they still haven't tasted victory together. Disappointed that they let their teammates down on this day.
A 10 minute rule was in effect, as the players were asked to feel the pain of a tough loss over the next 10 minutes, but then to move past and forget about it. They all showed up a mere 14 hours later for off-ice training, and the strength and conditioning coach was greeted to smiles and laughter...which happened to continue through 60 full minutes of intense work...not just 40 this time (which is all they were able to play in their previous two games). When the players showed up for practice the next day, they were greeted to the following quote, and it is their job to understand it and apply it: "The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle". Keep your heads up girls, your hard work will pay off.
~Coach
The game began with the teams trading chances back and forth, but the Hawks managed to open the scoring 7 and a half minutes into the game on a powerplay. Falling behind has not really been a recipe for success for the Ice so far this season, but to the players' credit they refused to back down and they pushed back. The bench was alive and the players were set on tying it up quickly. 3 minutes after they scored the opening goal, the Hawks scored again on the powerplay (their third one of the period) to make it 2-0. One could sense the air being let out of the Ice's sails, as despite the penalty trouble, they were playing a solid game. Finally, just over a minute later, Rielle Chwartacki scored on the powerplay to bring the Ice back within a goal at intermission. Chantel Olson and and Michelle Anderson assisted on that goal. Kathleen Kosior was excellent in net, stopping 20 of the 22 shots she faced in the first period. The second period started the way the first ended, as the Ice had renewed hope that they could come back in this game. A few chances here and there, left both teams pressing for the next goal. Pembina Valley managed to stretch their lead to 4-1 with 2 goals 5 minutes apart, before the Ice replied with less than 1 minute to go in the second period, when Elizabeth Carter threw one on net and it somehow found a way to beat the Hawks goalie. At 4-2, after 2, the Ice knew that the next goal was key. The players spoke about getting off to a good start as well as being patient, but they also stressed the importance of scoring one early in the third. Most of all, what was seemingly understood was that they had played a pretty tough 40 minutes and that it would take the same gritty effort...and then some...to find a way to even the game up. The players vowed to keep up the effort and intensity and they filed out of the dressing with the confidence that a good result was within their grasp. Unfortunately for the Ice, as was the case in their last game, the third period ended up being their worst. The Hawks dominated the entire period, though the Ice held them off the scoreboard for the first 9 minutes of the period. In a game where it seemed the Ice were constantly on the penalty kill, they took 3 more penalties in the third and PV scored their third powerplay goal of the game to seal the deal with two minutes left. They added another goal just 1 minute later. The Ice did not find the level they needed to in the third period and the Hawks took advantage. The Hawks scored 4 goals in the third to win 8-2.
The room was quiet afterwards, obviously, and the players spoke with disappointment in their voices. Disappointed that they couldn't keep their level of play up where it needed to be for 60 minutes. Disappointed that they still haven't tasted victory together. Disappointed that they let their teammates down on this day.
A 10 minute rule was in effect, as the players were asked to feel the pain of a tough loss over the next 10 minutes, but then to move past and forget about it. They all showed up a mere 14 hours later for off-ice training, and the strength and conditioning coach was greeted to smiles and laughter...which happened to continue through 60 full minutes of intense work...not just 40 this time (which is all they were able to play in their previous two games). When the players showed up for practice the next day, they were greeted to the following quote, and it is their job to understand it and apply it: "The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle". Keep your heads up girls, your hard work will pay off.
~Coach
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