The season might have come to an end earlier than the South East midget AA Goldwings female hockey team would have liked, but their coach is still pleased with the progress shown by the team in their first campaign.
The Gold Wings lost 5-2 to the Regina Rebels in the third and deciding game of the best-of-three Saskatchewan Female Hockey League South Division final Sunday in Midale. Haley Labbie and Khloe Bedore scored for the Goldwings in the first period of that game; the contest was tied 2-2 after the opening frame.
The Rebels scored once in the second, and added two goals late in the third.
Taryn McKinney was in goal for the Goldwings.
Goldwings head coach Allan Ohrt said the Rebels didn’t do anything different than the regular season, when the Rebels were 12 points behind the Goldwings.
“We just didn’t play our best. They came out and played their hardest, Regina did, and deserved to win that game,” said Ohrt.
But it was still a successful year. The Goldwings had several players from each of Estevan and Weyburn, and had athletes from nine other southeast communities.
“Coming from two cities that do not particularly like each other, Estevan and Weyburn, and bringing girls from both sides together, it was actually an instant success right off the bat,” said Ohrt. “I couldn’t believe how the girls got along.”
The Goldwings had the best record in the league’s midget AA division during the regular season at 18-2. Had they defeated Regina, they would have reached the provincial final against the Saskatoon Comet Impact.
“The girls pulled through a lot of adversity throughout the year, and played well all year,” said Ohrt.
Adding to the regional element of the squad was their home rink. The Goldwings played virtually all of their games in Midale.
“You get all of the perks of having (a team in) a small town. You need to stay on a few extra minutes, or if you need to go on a little bit before to have a nice warmup (you can). The rink guys were awesome all year long, and the community started pitching in at the end.”
For the last couple games, Mayor Allan Hauglum was operating the scoreclock and a local electrician was doing the announcing.
The Goldwings have 12 of 17 players eligible to return next season. Ohrt expects the southeast format will continue moving forward, thanks to the number of players of midget age in Estevan and Weyburn, and the talent they can draw from in other areas.
“I think that’s the proper way of doing it, and you’ll have a more competitive team throughout every year,” said Ohrt.
