Queens Hockey tame Broncos in the season opener, Ward earns her first ACAC shutout
Olds, October 6, 2023 – With help from rookie goaltender Tora Ward and defense Kaedence Mollin, the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens skated away with a 3-0 victory in their season opener against the Olds College Broncos.
But it took a full period for the scoring to come.
In the dying seconds of the first period with a scoreless tie, the Broncos were given a prime opportunity but Queens rookie goaltender Tora Ward (Open Studies) came up with a big toe save and then sprawled over to her left to make another save to keep it tied at zero.
The shots were heavily in favour of the Broncos as they outshot the Queens 12-4 after the first frame.
Nine minutes into the second period the Queens would open the scoring on their 2023/2024 season and end the deadlock with a beautiful snipe from first-year Jenna Sellen (Bachelor of Education) that went top-shelf over the right shoulder of the Broncos goaltender. The powerplay goal was assisted by defense Kaedence Mollin (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) and forward Jailyn Bablitz (Bachelor of Education).
Forty seconds later, the Polytechnic would add an insurance goal off a breakaway from forward Tasha Barsby (Bachelor of Science) with a diving assist coming from newly appointed captain Avery Lajeunesse (Bachelor of Education).
The goals kept coming from the visitors as fourteen seconds into the third, the Queens would add to their lead with a shot from the point coming from Mollin that made its way through traffic into the back of the net.
The Queens managed to come away with a 3-0 victory as Ward would pick up her first Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference (ACAC) shutout in her first collegiate start. She steered aside a total of 24 shots.
Defense Alesha Santos was named the Queens player of the game with her one-assist performance on the Mollin goal early in the third period.
The Polytechnic will be back in action tomorrow night as they host the Lakeland College Rustlers in their home opener. The game starts at 7 pm in the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre.