Cougars 3 Queens 2
CALGARY — In the end the RDC Queens may have lost the best-of-five Alberta Colleges Women’s Hockey League semifinal series to the Mount Royal University Cougars 3-0, but don’t let that fool you.
Despite giving up a considerable amount of experience, the Queens battled the top-ranked Cougars every step of the way and with a couple of bounces could well have extended the series.
The biggest loss was a 2-0 decision in the series opener. They then dropped a 5-4 overtime decision and the Cougars managed to put the series away with a 3-2 victory at the Flames Community Arenas Friday afternoon.
“We’re really proud of the girls, they worked hard and through the second and third periods we had lots of chances,” said Queens head coach Trevor Keeper.
“In terms of experience and depth we don’t match up with them, but our girls squeezed out every ounce they had. In the end it was a close series.”
The Cougars looked as if they would run away with Friday’s game, using a pair of power play goals to take a 3-0 lead midway through the second period. But the Queens never say die attitude got them back in the game.
Rachel Hoppins scored on a scramble at 11:21 and Jayna Kitchen notched a power play goal at 14:48 when she whipped a wrist shot past MRU goalie Jessica Ross as she cut across the high slot.
The Queens outshot the Cougars 12-6 in the second period and 7-5 in the third, but couldn’t even the count.
“We gave it all we had, with a couple of bounces it would have went our way,” said fifth-year forward and captain Megan Abt.
“Hopefully next year we get the long end of the stick.”
Abt admitted there was a bit of a void as she sat in the dressing room following her final game as a Queen. But she also believes shes isn’t done with the team.
“I’ll be busy with school next year as I’m in my fourth year of nursing, but I want to help out the team when I can. I’ve been here five years and that’s the longest I’ve been with a team since I was in Bentley,” she said.
The Cougars controlled play most of the first period with defenceman Jess Legasse scoring on the power play at 8:10 on a screened shot from the point that beat RDC netminder Toni Ross just under the bar.
The Queens trailed 10-2 in shots early, but had narrowed the gap to 13-8 by the end of the period.
“We came out a bit nervous and it took us a little while to adapt to the big ice surface,” said Abt, who added the team didn’t let their 5-4 overtime loss in Game 2 bother them.
“We have a really, really good group with a great attitude and we feed off each other, and didn’t let that affect us.”
“We have a poster going into our dressing room that says our goal is to get better every week and don’t get too happy with your wins or too disappointed with your losses,” said Keeper. “With 15 or 16 players back next season and with that talent returning and what they learned this year it will be a good combination.
“Experience is invaluable. When you get into a situation you’ve been in before you know what to do in those tight situations. But you have to be in them. It happens at all levels from the NHL down to seven and eight year-olds.”
Both netminders — Toni Ross and Camille Trautman — could return next season. Keeper would like to see them both around.
“Toni has been battling hard in practice to track the puck and get those second and third shots on rebounds, and Camille has as well,” he said. “We just had a feeling today to go with Toni, who played well here before.”
Ross finished with 21 saves and had no chance on the three that beat her. The Queens had 27 shots on goal.
Chrissy Hodgson and Kaitlyn Burke scored the other MRU goals. RDC took three of eight minor penalties.
Keeper indicated after the game he won’t hold a prospects camp this year.
“I’d like to have the prospects in with the returning players, but with exams and then the prospects being in AAA midget playoffs it’s not something we can do this year. And besides we only need about six or seven players and we know who they are.”
drode@www.reddeeradvocate.com