After working hard to ensure a tie with the Parkland Fire last Sunday, a goal in the last 10 seconds was a really deflating moment for the midget AA South East Goldwings.
The Fire scored the game-winning goal with nine seconds on the clock against the Southeast. The Goldwings will be hitting the ice for the regular season next week in the Saskatchewan Female Midget AA Hockey League but played their last pre-season game at Affinity Place Sunday. They’ll play their regular season games in Midale once the ice goes in to that rink.
“This is our fifth game but we haven’t had enough practices,” said Goldwings coach Allan Ohrt, “We’ve only had three practices and five games and that’s not the ideal thing. But we’ll be ready next time.”
One of the key players offensively for last season’s Estevan Power Tech BearCats was Marci LeBlanc and she displayed some of the breakaway speed and determination Sunday, but she couldn’t stuff the puck in far side after her breakaway in the third. Kendra Kotalyk scored the only goal of the game for the Goldwings with an assist from Kaycee Mullinger at 7:11 of the third period.
Earlier in the second period, the Goldwings weren’t able to convert on a lengthy two-person power play advantage, which is the kind of thing that hopefully won’t be a problem once the players on the ice get used to each other and understand the systems better.
“We’ve worked on the power play once so far and it’s early,” Ohrt said. “We’ve got about two more weeks here without any games. We’ll be fine.”
The players still do get along despite being a mashup of different areas in the southeast.
“The girls are awesome together,” said Ohrt. “I’ve talked to a couple of people and it’s the same question they always ask. We’ll be fine. It’s the best room I’ve seen together.”
The Goldwings start their season with a pair of games Oct. 13-14 in Swift Current and then their home opener is Oct. 23 at 7 p.m. at Midale against Parkland.
In other female hockey news for the area, the Midget A South East Goldwings will be home to the Prairie Storm Thunder Oct. 13 at 3:30 p.m. The Carlyle Wildcats begin their campaign Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. against the Regina Renegades
Also, the Estevan bantam Bearcats are opening their season Oct. 13 against the Regina Renegades at the Power Dodge Ice Centre. The peewee Bearcats start Oct. 13 against Parkland at Melville.
There are two atom Bearcats teams with one beginning their regular season at 4 p.m. Saturday against Weyburn DQ Blizzards and another going Oct. 13 against Weyburn AtomC Red.
