The Grant MacEwan University Griffins outlasted the RDC Queens in the end at the Centrium on Friday night.
The Griffins picked a 3-1 victory over the Queens and clinched the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference Championship title in Game 4 of the best-of-five series.
It was the second consecutive ACAC Women’s Hockey title for Grant MacEwan.
“They’re a good team. They shut us down defensively. Their special teams showed a little better tonight again. Ours just didn’t get the job done,” Queens head coach Kelly Coulter said.
“Hats off to them. They’re defending champions for a reason and they made it hard on us. I’m very proud of the season we had with our girls and the effort they gave us all year long.”
With the loss, the Queens settled for an ACAC silver medal.
The Griffins jumped out to a 1-0 lead late in the first when Amanda Murray beat Queens goalie Tracie Kikuchi glove side.
Queens second-year defenceman Landry Derdall ripped home her first of the playoffs on the power play with a wrist shot high past Heim early in the second to tie the game at one.
The third period belonged to the visitors as they scored twice in the final frame to earn the ACAC gold.
Chantal Ricker scored midway through the period and on the power play Nikki Reimer banged in the insurance marker for the Griffins. Reimer was also the ACAC Women’s Hockey Tournament MVP.
The Queens were just 1-for-6 on the power play in the defeat, while the Griffins converted twice in three chances.
Kikuchi, the third year Queens netminder was player of the game with 24 saves.
Coulter added his group battled all season long and to make it as far as they did was a tremendous accomplishment.
“To win the silver medal with a young group like that, we had very good veteran leadership,” Coulter said.
“How Emily (Lougheed) and Jade (Petrie) and Cass (Anderson) and Julia (Murrell) compete right to the very end. It really sets the bar for what we expect for those girls coming back next year.”
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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