It was a game over a year in the making, as the Winnipeg ICE and BH Blazers finally squared off in exhibition play. It was a great night for hockey and the stands were full of fans of female hockey in Winnipeg. After a very successful opening weekend against the Norman Wild, the ICE were looking to build on their momentum with a strong performance against the Balmoral Hall Blazers Prep team.
Despite the fact that this game would not affect the standings for either team, both teams seemed to feel the pressure to win. The opening face-off was met with nerves and some hectic play in both ends of the ice. The teams settled into a very physical game early in the first period and the pace was kept high for the entire 20 minutes. The Blazers held the balance of play in the first period, outshooting the ICE 7-2, but solid defensive zone coverage, and timely goaltending by Michelle Kerdes, kept the score 0-0 after 1.
The second period began with the same excitement in the stands and on the ice. The physical play started to take its toll on the ICE, as the Blazers wore down the short-handed ICE, who were down to 13 skaters for this game. The Blazers pushed hard to take the lead in the second but the ICE weathered the storm and tried to push back and steal the lead. Halfway through the second period, with the score 0-0, the ICE changed goalies from Michelle Kerdes to Kathleen Kosior. Kerdes stopped all 17 shots she faced, including many saves that led to huge cheers from the stands and from the ICE bench. Kathleen Kosior entered the game and immediately made a difference, making several big saves in the first few shifts, as the Blazers pressed on. Late in the second period, the Blazers finally snuck a weird one by Kosior on a powerplay. The game's first goal was scored on a high shot from the point and then took an odd deflection off of an ICE player and found its way into the net. The Blazers held that 1-0 lead into the third period.
The ICE dressing room was upbeat at intermission, as the players vowed to get a quick one and find their way back into the game. Both teams fought hard in third period, but it was the Blazers who seemed to control the puck. More dedicated defensive zone play and solid goaltending were eventually not enough to keep a powerful Blazers team off the board, as they found a way take a 3-0 lead midway through the third period. Finally, on one of their own powerplays, the ICE managed to chip away at the lead. Meara Grant took the puck to the net hard and put the puck on net, where Jessi Campbell was waiting to put it home. This was Soupy's 4th goal of the preseason, and Meara's 9th point. The goal made it 3-1 and gave the ICE some life. The ICE pushed back hard, trying to get even closer, but the Blazers eventually weathered the storm and added one more goal to win 4-1.
It was a good performance overall and great experience for the Winnipeg ICE. The players were able to hold their heads high and demand a rematch...which they will get! The ICE special teams were very good in this game, killing 5 of the 6 penalties and going 1 for 4 on the powerplay. All ICE players refused to get outworked and they battled for each other against a very skilled team. While a loss is never something to write home about, there's something to be said about taking on a big test and coming out with valuable experience. You heard it here first, the best is yet to come from this edition of the Winnipeg ICE AAA Hockey Club. Stay tuned...
~Coach
