Ooks 2 Queens 0
You can almost predict that when a team clinches a playoff berth they have a letdown the next game.
That appeared to describe the RDC Queens to a tee as they dropped a 2-0 decision to the NAIT Ooks in Alberta Colleges Women’s Hockey League play at the Arena Thursday.
The game came five days after the Queens were guaranteed a playoff berth when the Ooks beat the SAIT Trojans to knock them out of fourth place.
While the letdown may have been natural it wasn’t something that sat well with head coach Trevor Keeper, who didn’t talk to the team after the game.
“Our motivation shouldn’t be lacking,” he said after relaxing a bit. “Tonight we had only a handful of good players. We outshot them (28-21), but a lot of players weren’t focused and concentrating. We were missing the net and not making the right play on a two-on-none, stuff the girls typically don’t do.
“We talk about not having bad habits, but some of the girls were working hard and some were working hard, but not playing smart. And we had some players who looked like they didn’t want to be here, which we haven’t had all year. We need to refocus for tomorrow (at NAIT) and treat it like a playoff game rather than our final game of the regular season, that doesn’t mean anything.”
Queens captain and fifth-year forward Megan Abt agreed.
“I thought we played a little scarred the last two games,” she said. “I think tonight some of the girls weren’t mentally prepared, which made it a little rough. Tomorrow we need to start fresh and go into the playoffs on a good note.”
The Queens will face either Mount Royal University or NAIT in the best-of-five league semifinals. MRU needs to win one of their final two games against Grant MacEwan, or have RDC beat NAIT, to wrap up top spot.
As captain, and the only player on the roster who has played in the ACAC playoffs, Abt knows she has to play a small role in making sure the team is prepared.
“I do have a role, but I also think at this age they’ve been playing hockey long enough they shouldn’t have to rely on me to get them prepared. They should be the ones to get themselves ready as they’ve all played their whole life and been in the playoffs in midget, so it’s not like it’s the first time.”
It will be the last time for Abt, so she wants to make it memorable.
“It’s exciting and I’m doing it with a good team, which I’m happy about,” she said.
She also likes the fact it’ll be a best-of-five series.
“My first year it was a best-of-three. You lose that first game and there goes all the momentum. This way you have some breathing room.”
If the Queens face MRU they know they can beat them, having sweep their last two-game set against the Calgary squad.
“We know we can beat anyone, but the way we’ve played the last couple of games I’m a little worried,” said Abt. “We need to get back playing like we know how.”
Former Red Deer Sutter Fund midget Cassidy Anderson put the Ooks up 1-0 with a power play goal at 10:28 of the first period and former Queen Chantal Froehler put the lid on the victory scoring on a rebound at 10:11 of the third period.
Jill Diachuk recorded her third shutout of the season for the Ooks while Camille Trautman was in net for RDC.
Queens are expected to open the playoffs Feb. 25 on the road and will host the second game, Feb. 26 at 3:15 p.m. at the Arena. The rest of the games will be the following weekend.
l In other RDC news, badminton star Mary Smith was named to the women’s All-Conference team. As well the basketball Kings will open their best-of-three league quarter-final series against either Keyano or NAIT, Feb. 23. All three games will be at RDC if they face Keyano.
NAIT and Keyano, who are both 14-4, have two games remaining on their schedule with Keyano having the tougher weekend as they face undefeated Lakeland, who is ranked No.1 in Canada. NAIT meets 5-13 Augustana.
drode@www.reddeeradvocate.com