Olds College Broncos forward Hanna Matchett found the magic touch and finally ended a scoreless game Thursday at the Centrium in Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference women’s hockey action.
Matchett, the 13th shooter in the shootout cracked the goose egg and earned a 1-0 shootout win for the visitors over the RDC Queens at the Centrium.
Broncos goalie Jaydlin Spooner was fantastic with 15 saves in the third and 30 overall. She turned aside all seven RDC players in the shootout.
Queens goalie Ariana Kresic, in her first career ACAC start, was also fantastic for RDC. She stopped 26 shots in the loss and was huge for the home side in the opening two periods.
“She played an outstanding game for her first time between the pipes. I feel like the team let her down,” Queens head coach Kelly Coulter said.
Coulter added that he wasn’t pleased with the effort of his group despite some marginally better play in the final 20 minutes of the game and overtime.
“In our first two periods, 90 percent of our team was terrible,” Coulter said.
“Ten percent looked like they were here and ready to give an effort. Our third period we were much better but unfortunately, a hockey game is 60 minutes. Against teams that are going to be aggressive and hungry if you’re not prepared to play, that’s what the end result is.”
In both the four-on-four and three-on-three five minute overtime periods, RDC had numerous chances to end the game but they failed to put the puck past Spooner.
The Queens only registered 10 shots through the first 40 minutes of the game and Coulter added that at this point in the year, with his team battling for second in the ACAC, they need to show more determination to pick up wins.
“We’re getting to the point in the season where the girls have to start realizing on their own, what they’re capable of doing. The challenge is they have to be better every single period,” Coulter said.
RDC is now 10-5-3 on the year with 23 points, two behind the NAIT Ooks for second.
Email sports tips to Byron Hackett
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