Queens rebound nicely with a shutout win over the Griffins

The Red Deer College Queens Hockey team wanted to bounce back from Thursday's loss and tonight they showed great energy and blanked the Griffins in Edmonton. After RDC opened the scoring, both goaltenders were perfect the rest of the game and the Queens skated to a 1-0 shutout victory. Tracie Kikuchi got the start in the RDC Queens net, while Sandy Heim patrolled MacEwan University's crease.   

Rikki Smith opened the scoring at 7:27 of the 1st period to give the Queens a 1-0 lead. The Griffins outshot the Queens 12-10.

Neither team could score in the 2nd period. Kikuchi turned aside 6 shots while the Queens tested Heim 11 times.

In the 3rd period, the Griffins threw everything at the net but Kikuchi could not be beaten. The Kinesiology and Sport Studies student stopped 21 shots in the final frame. The Queens had 6 shots on Heim. Over 3 periods, Kikuchi stopped all 39 shots. The RDC Queens finished with a total of 27 shots. On the power play, the Queens went 0-for-5 while the Griffins were 0-for-3 with the extra skater.

Queens Head Coach Kelly Coulter was happy with the effort tonight.

"It was a very good game and we had a lot of energy in our dressing room. Tracie Kikuchi was excellent in net tonight," said Coulter. "We had great 2nd efforts to help preserve the win from Emily Swier, Jade Petrie, Ashley Graf and Cassidy Anderson."

Coulter was impressed with the play of the captain.

"Our captain, Julia Murrell had a very strong game," said Coulter." She blocked a shot in the ribs and that kind of sacrifice is what leaders do."

With the victory, the RDC Queens jump back into 1st place in ACAC Women's Hockey with 27 points.

The Queens next play Thursday, Feb. 2 in Olds against the Broncos at 7:00 p.m. Saturday at 7:30 p.m., the RDC Queens host the Olds College Broncos at the ENMAX Centrium.