Weekend Recap...

This weekend was full of ups and downs, something every team should expect when they play their first 4 exhibition games of the season. While nobody in the Winnipeg Ice dressing room will tell you that this weekend went precisely as planned, the team got over some early nerves, played the champs very tough, and learned a lot about the teams in this league, and also about themselves. The coaching staff and players would have certainly preferred to be in win column this weekend, but truth be told, this weekend was more about learning about teammates, playing the systems, and coming together as a team. The wins become important next Saturday, this past weekend of exhibition games were simply that..a four game pre-season exhibition to get the kinks out. The players did a lot of things exactly as they have been told, and they made leaps of progress from Friday to Sunday. But ask any player on the roster, and they will admit they made a few mistakes along the way as well. Which is certainly what is to be expected this early on.

The first game was explained in a previous post, so we'll recap the last 3 games below.

Perhaps the most exciting game of the weekend was Saturday afternoon as the Winnipeg Ice played last year's National Champions, the Pembina Valley Hawks. After a slow start in the first game of the weekend, the Ice vowed to get going quickly. PV came out very strong on the first shift however, and had 3 good chances on net. Kathleen Kosior made some huge saves on the first shift, as her teammates adjusted to a very quick pace. The Ice weathered the storm and started to push back, leading to a nice goal by Michelle Anderson on a tip from Melissa Blaine's shot from the point. PV pushed back hard and finally managed to beat Kosior about 3 minutes later to tie the game at 1. The first period ended 1-1. The second period was much the same, as the pace was ramped up by a strong skating Hawks team. The Ice held their own and pushed back just as hard, and found a way to take 2-1 lead on a very nice goal by Rielle Chwartacki, who broke free and got a pass from Ashley Kubic, and ended up putting it in the top corner of the net. The 2-1 lead was also short-lived as PV came back and scored on the next shift. The second period also ended in a tie, this time at 2. The Ice were gaining confidence every single shift, and they refused to back down. Although completely exhausted in the second intermission, it was clear they felt great. The third period went much like the first two, and goaltender Kosior continued to put on a show. Spirits were high on the bench, and the players could sense they could get a good result against a very tough team. With the game still tied 2-2 with 5 minutes left, the play was going back and forth but the Hawks were holding the balance of play. With just over 4 minutes to go, PV managed to take the lead 3-2, their first lead of the game. The Hawks proved why they are one of the teams to beat again this year, by finding a way to win a tight checking, hard fought game. PV added one more with a minute to go to win 4-2. Kathleen Kosior stopped 43 of 47 shots in this game.
In the dressing room after the game, the Ice players were understandably disappointed, but the coaches certainly were not. No, a 4-2 loss is not what we were after, but the way the team played (in just their second game together) points to an extremely bright future for this team. The players refused to be pushed around, they battled right up until the end, and they played for each other. What else could a coaching staff ask for? Great work girls, keep your heads up high!

After a quick team meal and a short break the Ice were back at it against the Norman Wild. After such a spirited game a few hours earlier, there is always danger of a let down, especially this early in the season. But the Ice vowed to play the same game as earlier in the day, and they lived up to it early on by taking the lead 15 minutes into the game on a goal by Michelle Anderson. Norman replied quickly, as the first period ended tied at 1. Michelle Kerdes was solid in net through the first period, stopping 7 of the 8 Norman shots. The second period turned out to be the worst of the weekend for the Ice, as Norman built a 4-1 lead through 40 minutes. For whatever reason, the Ice were not firing on all cylinders and were did not have the spark that shone so bright in the earlier game. The intermission seemed a lot longer for the Ice, as the team discussed some corrections and tried to re-kindle some of the spirit that allowed the team to perform so well a few hours before. Whatever was discussed sure seemed to work, as the Ice quickly cut into the lead, making it 4-3 only 3 minutes into the third period. First it was Meara Grant scoring a beauty one-timer goal, assisted by Allie Bednarz. Then Melissa Blaine rushed the puck into the Norman zone and fired one over the goalie's shoulder. The bench was alive and the Ice were determined to pull this one out. But a bad bounce led to Norman's fifth goal and ultimately sealed the 5-3 win for the Wild. This was a tough one for Ice to take, as their confidence was as high as ever going in to this one. The Ice did out-shoot the Wild 37-32.

Sunday was a new day, and the Ice reflected on a very emotional Saturday. The plan was to go out and play a solid team game. The bounces hadn't really gone the Ice's way all weekend, which did not change in the first two minutes of this game either. Yellowhead opened the scoring a minute and 30 seconds into the game on a bank shot off of Kathleen Kosior's skate, after she made two big saves. The goal seemed to stun the bench for the next few shifts. The game went back and forth for the whole game, as the 1-0 score stood up though the first and second periods. A very long weekend of hockey wrapped up in the third period, as Ice fell behind 3-0 before Rielle Chwartacki found the net with 4 minutes to go. Yellowhead played a solid game, and ended up taking it 3-1.

A weekend of ups and downs, but a lot of lessons learned. Despite not finding the win column yet, the Ice can be very proud of how they played this weekend. They players know what needs to be corrected and they definitely know about all the things they all did extremely well. Most of all, the players supported their teammates, through the up and downs, all weekend long. It was positive on the bench and in the dressing room throughout the entire weekend. Was it the result the team wanted for this weekend? No, definitely not. But as of today, the team's league record is 0-0-0. It all starts for real on Saturday. As a team, the Ice will succeed...it's only a matter of time. We are proud of you girls! Go Ice Go!

~Coach