Abt hitting her stride
Going into the Alberta Colleges Women’s Hockey League season, there were a lot of high expectations put on second-year winger Megan Abt.
After all the Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs grad was third in team scoring during the 2007-08 season with 10 goals and five assists in 18 games.
But with two new linemates and the pressure to be one of the team’s offensive leaders Abt didn’t find her scoring touch — that is until the final two games of the season.
“I knew coming into the season I was expected to provide more offence and so I put a lot of pressure on myself and because of that I think I held back a little. But recently I started settling down and stopped thinking about what Rob (head coach Rob Weddell) expected of me and I felt a lot more comfortable,” said the five-foot-seven Abt, who had two goals and five assists in the final two league games against the NAIT Ooks.
Her late season outburst left her with seven goals and five assists and with a lot of confidence in her linemates — Ashley Blacquiere and Treena Dodd.
“I like the feeling with them as I know when I pass them puck they can score, so it’s not all on me,” said Abt.
The trio were the second highest scoring line on the team, back of Karla Bourke (11goals,14 assists, 25 points), Chantal Froehler (10-9-19) and Charlee Mappin (3-10-13). Blacquiere finished with five goals and 12 assists while Dodd had seven goals and four helpers.
The Queens will need both lines clicking as they head into the opening game of the best-of-three league quarter-finals against the Mount Royal College Cougars tonight at 7 p.m. at the Arena.
The second game goes Friday at 7:45 p.m. in Calgary with the third game, if necessary, Sunday at 12:30 p.m. at the Arena.
Abt feels her strong finish to the regular season was a perfect way to go into the playoffs.
“No doubt. I feel good and we’re ready.”
And the Queens will need to be as the Cougars beat the RDC squad 3-0 in their last meeting in Calgary.
“In the long run that loss may have been good for us,” said Abt. “It certainly makes us realize we have to go hard to win.”
The Queens could be without two key players as both Bourke (hip) and defenceman Lindsay Hogg (shoulder) are questionable.
“If Karla isn’t playing everyone else has to pick it up and that means our line has to be counted on even more,” said Abt, who is taking general sciences and hopes to transfer into nursing next year.
She will be around for several more years and hopes to play with his sister Jessica next year.
“It would be great to play with her once again,” she added.
The Queens go into the series looking to get beyond the first round of the playoffs for the first time in three years.
“I remember last year and it’s not a great feeling, we don’t want to be watching after the first round,” said Abt.
Weddell feels his team is ready, although they may not be completely healthy.
“We showed good form late and we seem to be progressing the way we should,” he said. “Mount Royal won’t be a pushover, so we’ll have to be ready and not get caught playing their game.”
l The volleyball Kings will meet the NAIT Ooks in a best-of-three cross-over series to qualify for the ACAC finals, set for Feb. 27-March 1 in Grande Prairie.
The Kings host the Ooks Friday at 7 p.m. with the second game Saturday at 7 p.m. at NAIT. If a third game is necessary it’ll go Sunday at 3 p.m. at RDC.
The Kings, 12-8, who are ranked No. 13 in Canada, go into the series as heavy favourites over the Ooks, 2-18, who were last in the North Division.
“Still we don’t know much about them, except they’re big and young,” said Kings head coach Aaron Schulha. “I expect they’ll be ready, but as long as we take care of our side of the net we’ll be OK. We need to play with intensity yet have fun.”
The Kings should be relatively healthy with power hitter Chris Wowchuk back from a hip injury.
“There’s the normal bumps and bruises, but every team has them,” said Schulha.
l The volleyball Queens and basketball Kings have the weekend off.
The Queens will compete in the women’s championships, Feb. 27-March 1 at Mount Royal while the Kings face the MacEwan Griffins in a best-of-three quarter-final series Feb. 27-March 1.
The Kings host MacEwan Feb. 27 with the second game in Edmonton Feb. 28 and the third if needed March 1 at RDC.
l Basketball’s Andrew Cassidy was named the Booster Juice male athlete of the week while Abt received the female award.
Contact Danny Rode at drode@reddeeradvocate.com
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