Rookie Leads Midget A Mavericks To Playoff Victory
By Robert Thomas
After a slow start the Moose Jaw Midget A Mavericks managed to find their spark and then simply over power the Regina Renegades winning 6 – 1 to take game one on Tuesday evening in their best of three semi-final series in Saskatchewan Female Hockey League action.
Although a team sport the play of rookie Brooklyn Nimegeers inspired the Mavericks to victory. Nimegeers not only managed to score a hat trick but also led the Mavericks' charge time and again by out skating and fighting off Renegade defenders and then tormenting Regina’s goaltender Anna Hartnell with her wicked wrist hand shot.
The Mavericks work to clear the puck in second period action - MJ Independent Photo
The first period started out with the Mavericks having a good scoring chance within the first 10 seconds but they were stopped by Hartnell.
The action immediately flipped over with the Renegades rushing into the Mavericks end where they were able to apply pressure and tie up any breakout in the neutral zone.
The Mavericks, who have been jinxed with slow starts throughout the regular season, managed to score first at the 5:48 mark.
From behind the net Kami Schumack managed to feed a pass to Ashley Breitkruz who from six feet out slid the puck along the ice past Hartnell. Nikita Halyk got an assist on the goal after helping dig the puck out.
The Mavericks second goal came with 1:40 left in the period when Halyk managed to carry the puck out of the Mavericks end and simply dumped it along the boards then went off on a line change.
Nimegeers picked up the loose puck and then using her speed managed to get a step on the defenders scoring an unassisted goal with a strong wrist hand shot glove side.
Despite being in the final seconds of the period the Renegades Delaney Britton took a hard screen shot up high that tested Mavericks goaltender Schay Camphaug.
The Mavericks Ember DuSomme works against the Renegades defence during the first period - MJ Indepedent Photo
The second period saw Regina continuing to test the Mavericks resolve but they were unable to translate it into shots on goal.
Regina had a golden opportunity to score when Taylor Luciak received a four minute penalty for head contact at the 18:23 mark. Despite having a player advantage for four minutes Regina could only muster two shots on goal.
The best Regina opportunity came at the 9:00 mark when Camphaug bobbled a shot but the puck did not go in. As the Mavericks were able to clear the zone and in the ensuing play the puck moved to the Renegades end where Schumack scored at 8:11 assisted by Nimegeers.
Camphaug, another Bantam aged rookie playing female Midget hockey while also a member of the male Bantam A Warriors, had her shutout hopes dashed at the 6:21 mark.
After stopping a shot by a rushing Taylor Kaulbach the rebound went to Sabrina King who made no mistake putting it over Camphaug’s pads and into the net. An assist also went to Janelle Haus.
The third period saw the Mavericks repeat their usual regular season habit of coming out and dominating play.
While rushing in at the 19:00 minute mark Nimegeers took a strong wrist hand shot that tested Renegades' goaltender Hartnell.
At the 11:52 mark Nimegeers would score the Mavericks fourth goal on the powerplay. Skating an arc pattern from the right wing corner to the front of the net scoring on yet another wrist hand shot. The assist went to Lindsay Daniel.
A tipped shot led to the Mavericks fifth marker. Courtney Botterill took a shot which Schumack tipped past Hartnell. An assist also went to Breitkruz. Time of the goal was 11:34 of the third period.
Just over a minute later Nimegeers would get her unassisted hat trick goal. Breaking in on the left wing boards she would release a rocket of a shot that went off of the crossbar and in at 10:20.
Nikita Halyk lines up a backhand shot against Anna Hartnell - MJ Independent Photo
Despite a commanding third period lead of six to one the Mavericks continued to apply the pressure.
With 7:12 left in the game Ember DuSomme would cleanly beat Hartnell only to have her hard wrist shot ring off of the goal post.
The Mavericks continued to hustle right up until the end with Halyk fighting along the left wing boards passing out front to Breitkruz who shot it directly into Hartnell's chest with just over a minute remaining in the game.
Shots on goal were 41 to 26 in the Mavericks favour.
The larger than average crowd managed to generate a 50/50 prize of $145.
“I think it was a pretty good game. We came out a little bit flat and then we picked it up in the first. The second perios we ran into a little bit of penalty trouble and that slowed us down a little bit. Thankfully Brooklyn (Nimegeers) was able to spark the team in the third period and we didn’t look back from there,” head coach Mike Botterill said.
Asked about the slow start and how Regina played - especially in the first period - not being reflected on the score sheet Botterill said they are a good team and not to be taken lightly.
“I knew Regina was going to be a tough competitor they finished in third place this year and they have a good club there. A well disciplined club. This contest is going to be close and I am glad to take the win for sure,” he said.
Regarding the Renegades’ goaltender Anna Hartnell he said she was a good goaltender and the Mavericks may have helped her out to some extent.
“She made some nice saves but we hit her in the chest in a lot of our shots. We were joking about that a few times at the banch maybe shoot it at the corners and not at the center of her chest. She made some nice saves and some key saves in the first two periods I think.”
Botterill said the Mavericks played a strong game despite the slow first period start.
“I think the girls played strong I think they could have had a better game but they turned it up when they had to. We presently have two of our better players out with knee injuries,” he said.
Makayla Anderson, who sat out the majority of last season due to knee surgery, recently underwent some additional minor surgery and may soon return to the Mavericks lineup.
Sidney Ellingson, also has a knee injury requiring surgery, and is not expected to return this season. Ellingson was third in league point standings with 28 points despite being sidelined by the injury for two games.
It was a bit of an overwhelmed Brooklyn Nimegeers when told she was having a post game interview.
The 14 year old Nimegeers – one of the Mavericks youngest players - should be in her Bantam rookie year but with Moose Jaw not fielding a team in that age group the Pee Wee graduate jumped to Midget in order to play female hockey in the city. Nimegeers does play Bantam age hockey though on defence for the boy's Moose Jaw Bantam A Warriors.
Asked about her effort and her seemingly all over the ice Nimegeers said “I felt pretty good about it and throughout the game I just kept getting more and more excited for the end.”
Regarding her being the age of a Bantam aged rookie playing as a rookie on a Midget aged team Nimegeers said it helps her be a better player.
“It is really cool because playing with all of these older girls makes me feel really good and I feel that I fit in pretty good with them…it has been a pretty good jump but getting to the higher level helps. I like playing with the tougher league it makes me play harder,” she said.
Due to Sydnee Christmann competing in the high school provincial wrestling championships this weekend in Saskatoon there will be no goaltender rotation for Friday evening Schay Campaugh will get the nod for game two.
Game Two in the series is Friday night at 8:15 pm at the Cooperators Arena in Regina. Game Three (if necessary) goes Sunday at 1:15 pm at the Bert Hunt Arena.
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