Winnipeg ICE crack the W column...

It's true...it's only 1 game, but wow does it ever feel good to get a win! After a Saturday date with Central Plains was postponed due the storm, the Winnipeg ICE hosted the Norman Wild on Sunday afternoon. Coming off of a win over Eastman on Friday, and a very impressive tie with the Avros on Saturday, the Wild walked into Notre Dame Arena on Sunday as a very confident hockey team. However, after a great 2 hour practice (instead of a game) on Saturday night, the ICE were very prepared and quite excited to play as well.

The game began with a quick chance and a shot just over the net by Chantel Olson. After a shift change, the next ICE line vowed to keep the pressure up and get pucks to the net early. After another shift change, the next line was also able to pressure quickly and direct pucks at the net, putting Norman back on their heels to start the game. The energy stayed high on the bench and each ICE line seemed to carry the balance of play. Michelle Kerdes was solid in net when called upon in the first period, which was a sign of things to come. Despite a fairly constant attack, the ICE didn't solve the Norman goalie early on. Finally, with about 4 minutes left in first period, the ICE took a 1-0 lead on a goal from Soupy (Jessi Campbell), assisted by Meara Grant. A late chance for the Wild was turned aside by Kerdes, preserving the 1-0 lead after the first period. In what was described by Coach Jim "as the best period of hockey this team has played to date", the ICE outshot the Wild 20-5. At intermission, the players were reminded that it would take another 40 minutes of the same level of play to get the job done. The players seemed excited about their play to this point, but seemed to understand that their work was far from finished.

The Wild came out very strong in the second period, and it seemed like the ICE might let them back into this game. Kerdes stood tall early on in this period, which allowed the ICE to get back to what they did in the first period. The teams went back and forth for the first 10 minutes of the period, with neither team finding the back of the net. With about 8 minutes left in the second period, Chantel Olson scored to stretch the lead to 2-0, on a goal assisted by Michelle Anderson and Jane Roxburgh. The Wild didn't back down, but the ICE bench seemed determined to see this game through until the end. Late in the second period, Norman finally found a way to beat Kerdes, scoring with a minute left to make it 2-1 for the ICE. At intermission the girls tried to shake off the late goal against, and agreed that their play in the first was better than the second. The team spoke of the importance of owning the third period and sticking to a team game. 20 minutes is a long time, could the girls keep it together long enough?

The answer to that question came very quickly in the third, as Soupy scored her second goal of the night, from Meara Grant and Rielle Chwartacky, 90 seconds into the third period to give the ICE their 2 goal lead back at 3-1. The bench was alive and their confidence started to build. To their credit, the Wild never stopped skating and pushed the ICE to the limit, but Kerdes saved her best period for the last one. 9 minutes after Soupy got her second of the game, Olson scored her second of the game as well, from Sara Reuther, to give the ICE a 4-1 lead. The focus on the bench turned to defense-first, as all players were asked to protect the D-Zone. But the Wild would not quit, forcing a number of odd-player rushes (2 on 1s, 3 on 1s) late in the third period. Thankfully for the ICE, Kerdes was excellent in the final 5 minutes to preserve the first win of the season for the ICE. Soupy added her hat-trick goal, as she scored into an empty net, late in the game to cap off a great performance by the whole team.

In a season where not many bounces have gone their way, and finding the W column seemed to get harder every game, the ICE have faithfully stuck to it every single time they have stepped on the ice. The coaches expected to be greeted by looks of relief on the faces of the players, but instead, they were greeted by looks of hunger. The players were extremely happy, no doubt, but the look in their eyes said "we are hungry for more of this". Pleased with the outcome, to say the least, but the players are not satisfied with simply 1 win. Sunday's game was a great step forward on a difficult journey. It seems like we're about to find out what this team is really made of.

The Winnipeg ICE look to keep it going next weekend as they travel to The Pas to face the same Norman Wild team for 2 games. Saturday's game is at 7:30pm, while Sunday's game is at 10:30am.

Sure...it is only 1 game. But this team really deserves some success. All bets are off now, they know they can do it...they just have to do it every game.

~Coach

Not exactly how you would draw it up...

To say that the weekend didn't go as planned would be the understatement of the century. As the Winnipeg Ice boarded a huge pink Beaver Bus Line motorcoach on Saturday morning, the confidence of earning a tie 6 days earlier kept everyone in a good mood. What each person on the bus did not know, was that weekend in southwestern Manitoba would test the bond that everyone on this team shares.

It wasn't all good news though, as the team found out on Friday that they would still be missing one of their leaders, as Ollie was unable to travel with the team. But the team felt good about the weekend, as their first opponent was the same team they skated to a draw with at home on Sunday afternoon. The afternoon went smoothly: quick bus trip to Brandon, team meal at Montana's, and finally check-in at the hotel. After a little time to unwind and claim some space in their hotel rooms, the players were back on the bus for 70 minute ride to Shoal Lake. Turns out the game was scheduled for 7:30 instead of 7:00, so the bus was a bit early, but the players did need a little longer warm-up anyways, after spending most of the day on the bus. Finally, at 7:30pm the game vs. Yellowhead got underway, and the teams picked up where they left off from Sunday, as they skated back and forth trading chances. It was a pretty good first period, that saw the ICE fail to capitalize on a few chances early on. However, before the first period ended, Yellowhead managed to take a 1-0 lead. Kathleen Kosior was strong in net through the first period. The second period began with another Chiefs goal, extending the lead to 2-0 before the ICE could mount any counter attack. It only got worse from there, already on a penalty kill, the ICE took another penalty (kind of a soft call, in my opinion) to give the Chiefs nearly 2:00 on a 5 on 3 powerplay. Surely another goal against here would put the game out of reach...but the ICE PK stood very tall (and so did Kathleen in net) and found a way to kill off both powerplays. The ICE bench woke up for the first time since Yellowhead took the lead, and momentum seemed to be building. As the ICE pressed to shrink the lead, the Chiefs took a penalty...giving the ICE an opportunity to get closer. A little bit of possession and a few shots on net gave the ICE hope, but a mistake at the blue line and bad bounce resulted in the Chiefs scoring a short-handed goal...and ultimately broke the hearts of the ICE players. The 3-0 deficit wasn't even the worst part of the second period, as Michelle Anderson blocked a shot with her hand. At first she tried to play through the pain, she is a warrior by the way, as her hand was swollen and bruised immediately. She went to the dressing room with several minutes left in the second period, but did not get changed just yet. The loss of another player seemed to drain the ICE even more than the shorthanded goal, leading to another goal by the Chiefs before the end of the second period. At intermission,  the coaches reminded Michelle that she would not need to continue in such pain, as she has proven enough today by playing through it for so long. She did play one more shift later in the third period, but was finally convinced that she needed to get it looked at. She left for the Shoal Lake hospital with a few parents and the ICE were left to finish the game without her. The game ended in a very disappointing 5-0 loss. Disappointment in the dressing room was quickly changed to relief as Michelle was already back and her hand did not appear broken. Very few positives came out of the Saturday night game, but it did seem like the injury was not as bad as it looked.

Daylight savings time allowed an extra hour of sleep for the ICE on Sunday morning, as the team met at Smitty's for a 9:00am team breakfast, before boarding the bus at 11:30am for Hartney, Manitoba. The Westman Wildcats were waiting for the ICE, a day after they beat a very tough Avros team 3-2. Westman is a very fast, big, and skilled team, and they showed it very early on, taking a 4-0 lead in the opening 5 minutes. It wasn't even that the ICE were making glaring mistakes, it was simply that any small mistake, or any player being out of position, lead to a Westman goal (every goal seemed to hit metal). But, being down 4-0 was nothing compared to how the ICE felt with about 8:45 left in the first period.

A very tough knee on knee hit to ICE defenseman Tasia Girden, led to very scary scene for all ICE players and coaches and fans. Zack was met with screams as she approached Tasia. The teams were ushered to their dressing room as everyone waited for the ambulance. It seemed like hours, but the ambulance made it and the paramedics did a great job. Tasia was transported to the Souris hospital and was examined there. ICE parent Jamie Bednarz accompanied her SECOND player in two days to the hospital, and the ICE finished the game without another one of their teammates. Michelle Anderson was luckily able to play, but the ICE didn't seem to have it on this day. The details will be spared, but with Tasia in the back of their minds, the ICE lost 9-1 to Westman.

In a weekend where everything went wrong: two losses, 2 injuries, 2 hospitals...and 1 pink beaver bus getting stuck in Shoal Lake...the players supported each other through every minute. In a season where very few things, if any, have gone their way...the players are in it for each other. If anything can be taken from last weekend's experience is that the bond shared between the players on this team is stronger than ever. They have already learned more about themselves and their teammates than most teams will learn all season long. Now it is time for some bounces, some breaks, and some success. Keep at it girls!

~Coach

Losing streak over, spirited effort earns a hard fought tie...

The Winnipeg Ice were full value on Sunday afternoon, in a game that saw a number of firsts for this young team. In perhaps the most complete game, the ICE skated to a tie with a tough Yellowhead Chiefs team at Notre Dame Arena. The Ice came out extremely strong and pushed the Chiefs to the limit through the opening 10 minutes. But, as has often been the case, the ICE were not able put one past the goalie early on. The Chiefs pushed back but Kathleen Kosior was very good when she needed to be in the first period of this game. The ICE seemed determined to take the lead before the end of the period, and their persistence paid off...very late in the period. With only 2.7 seconds left, Jane Roxburgh scored from Michelle Anderson and Carley Jewell, on a textbook behind the net passing play. The ICE were in the lead after the first period and they outshot their opponents 14-6 - both "firsts" for this team after the first frame. While pleased with their overall intensity and effort, the coaches and the players stressed the importance of the next 40 minutes, and while a 1-0 lead felt great, the ICE did miss a few opportunities to extend the lead.

The second period was another good one, for both teams. The play went back and forth, with both teams having chances to cash in. Kathleen Kosior was very good again for the ICE, as she made some key saves to keep the score 1-0 for the ICE. After a 5 on 3 powerplay for the ICE resulted in many shots...but unfortunately no goals...the Chiefs scored on their next powerplay chance, on a very nice deflection. The period ended 1-1, but the ICE once outshot their opponent for the second straight period - another "first" for this team. The players reminded each other that a full 60 minutes would be required to find that elusive W everyone has been dying to get. But, they spoke with great confidence that they could get the job done. A much different attitude that some of the previous games, one could tell that this team was not about to lose this one.

The third period turned out to be just as exciting as the first two, as both teams pressed for the winner. Both goaltenders were very good in net, and neither team ended up as the victor. Kosior saved her best period for last, as she preserved the tie for the ICE with a few dazzling saves before the final buzzer.

In the room after the game, the coaching staff expected a sense of relief...as they finally managed to earn at least 1 point - another 'first' for this team. But what the coaches actually found was some level of relief and happiness, but also hunger in the players' eyes to feel victory! Of course the players were pleased with their game, but it was obvious they wanted more. This 1 point was a huge step forward for this team, and they are ready to take a few more steps together. The ICE and Chiefs play the second game of their home and home series on Saturday in Shoal Lake at 7:00pm. Great job girls, let's go get that win!

~Coach

Third period not the issue this time...

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

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

Slow start to the season, not the end of the world...

Nobody in the Winnipeg Ice camp would tell you that a 0-4 start is ideal. Nobody associated with the team would say that it has all gone according to plan so far this season. Nobody in the Ice dressing room is satisfied with the standings after 2 weekends of play. Let's be abundantly clear here, zero wins to date is absolutely unacceptable. However, there's something else that you won't hear anybody involved with this team utter...and that is, excuses.

On Sunday, after 40 minutes of their best hockey this season, the Ice allowed their biggest rivals to own the final period and score 4 goals to win 6-1. We'll spare you the details today, you can read all about it in the the previous post, but what might be interesting is how the team showed up to practice a mere 18 hours later.

The coaches have been happy with the vibe around the team so far, but it can be difficult to judge how young players will respond to a very tough loss the day before. Often players will roll into the arena 20-30 minutes before practice, after a tough loss. Often the dressing room will be quiet and somber before practice, after a tough loss. But, the coaches were very pleased to meet an incredibly eager and upbeat team upon arrival to the rink 1 hour before practice time. The whole team was very early and very prepared to step on the ice to continue working towards better results.

A quick debrief about the game the day the before offered explanations but no excuses. The players know exactly what needs to be done to start getting the job done on a more consistent basis. The players recognized very clearly that they have had moments of success against incredibly tough competition, but only when they leave it ALL on the ice and play as a team. They understand that ONE player will not be able to turn this thing around, the whole team needs to step up as a unit.

What followed the debriefing was an excellent fast-paced practice with very few breaks or time between drills. The team skated strong together and continued their development as players and as a team. With the next two days off, the players were pushed a little harder than usual, but it was nothing the girls couldn't handle.

The coaching staff was very pleased with the attitude of the team on Sunday...give them credit, nobody likes to lose, but they are more than willing to put in the work to right the ship. It's been said a number of times on these pages, there's something special about this team...it's just taking a little longer to show the world what we already know. There are tons of excuses for the slow start, but you won't hear any of them from any of us. We got ourselves into this, and we'll surely work our way out...together.

Weekend recap, October 12 & 13...

Another weekend of hockey went by with the Winnipeg Ice playing two away games. Both games saw the Ice play extremely well at times, but both games also showed the importance of playing 60 full minutes.

Friday night in Ste. Anne, Manitoba, the Winnipeg Ice and Eastman Selects played a back and forth game for most of the night. The Selects came out very strong in the first period, but Kathleen Kosior was excellent in net for the Ice. With the score 0-0 to begin the second, the Ice vowed to pick up the pace and take some of the momentum away from the Selects. Despite a much stronger period from the Ice, Eastman scored on a powerplay 2:30 into the period. The Ice pushed back, seemingly not phased by falling behind, and pushed the pace once again, but could not find the back of the net. About 9 minutes later, Eastman scored from behind the goal line, and with that favorable bounce they took a 2-0 lead. The Ice stayed in it for the rest of the period, finally scoring a powerplay of their own when Michelle Anderson, after getting a pass from Sara Reuther, walked the lane and found the back of the net. The score remained 2-1 for the Selects as the third period began. Despite their slow start the Ice were confident they could win the third period, and try to walk away with a win. Even though the Ice outshot the Selects 7-6 in the third period, they could not tie the game and the score showed 2-1 for the Selects as time ran out. After the game the players pointed to the fact that 60 solid minutes of work would have gotten the job done, but on this day they came up short of that. It was not all bad news for the Ice on Friday, as the girls finally got their sharp new team apparel! The team can still take positives from this game, despite the disappointing result.

On Sunday the Ice faced their closest rival, the Winnipeg Avros. Both teams seemed to be more than motivated for this game, and neither team disappointed in the first two periods. The Ice came out very strong and took control of the play on the first shift of the game. However, on the second shift, the Avros took a 1-0 lead on a very nice individual effort from one of their stars. Not willing to let that goal affect them, the Ice pushed back hard and managed to get some momentum throughout the next 15 minutes. With 5 minutes to go in the first period the Avros worked the powerplay to perfection and managed to make it 2-0, which is the way the period ended. Despite the 2-0 deficit, the dressing room was upbeat and positive, as the Ice showed signs of being able to get back in this game. Michelle Kerdes was strong in net all night, and would give the Ice a chance to come back in the second period. 4 minutes into the second period, the Ice closed the gap on the powerplay, as Jessi Campbell scored top-shelf off a pass from Ashley Kubic. It was a very similar goal to Michelle Anderson's PP goal the night before. She took the pass and drove the lane before shooting it top corner. The Ice were back in the game and pushed for more. In perhaps the most exciting game of the season so far, the teams skated back and forth up the ice trying to gain momentum. Despite having some great chances, the Ice couldn't tie it up and the period ended 2-1 for the Avros. The intermission brought even more confidence to an already fired up Ice team. The players had played some of their best hockey this season and truly gave everything they had for 40 minutes against a very skilled Avros team. Heading into the third period, all the Ice felt they needed was a break and to find a way to tie it up at 2. However, the Avros proved to be much too strong on this day, and Ice failed to play at the level they did for the first two periods. The Avros scored early in the third period to take some of the wind out of the Ice's sails, and then twice more in a span of 31 seconds to seal the deal. The game ended 6-1 for the cross-town rival Avros, though the game was much closer than the scoreline would indicate.

If nothing else, the Winnipeg Ice were painfully reminded, in both games this weekend, that they belong in this league and can compete with any team, BUT that 60 full minutes of giving everything they have is required on a nightly basis. As tough as it seems to believe right now, this team is making strides. As the team was reminded on Friday, "it's doesn't matter how often you get knocked down, the only thing that matters is how many times you get back up". This team refuses to stay down, they will get back up. Good things are on the horizon, the day is always darkest just before sunrise.

~Coach