Queens avoid scare in Medicine Hat while Steele finishes the weekend with four goals in back-to-back losses against the Trojans
Medicine Hat and Calgary, November 11, 2023 – In Medicine Hat, the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens avoided a scare against the Rattlers as they fought hard to come away with a 3-2 victory. On the other hand, the Kings were on the wrong side of yet another crazy high-scoring game against the SAIT Trojans.
See below for more information regarding each game.
Women's Hockey – Queens 3 at Medicine Hat College Rattlers 2
After just allowing one shot in the first 14 minutes of the game, the Queens finally opened the scoring on their eighth shot of the game. Forward Jenna Sellen (Bachelor of Education) won a puck battle on the boards and as she was spun around by her defender, Sellen fired a wrist shot from the top of the faceoff circle past the Rattlers goaltender for the game's first goal.
The Queens would take this 1-0 lead into the dressing room after the first period ended while outshooting the Rattlers 14-5.
But it was not a great start for the Queens as a turnover in their own zone led to the Rattlers tying it up in the first minute of the second.
This would go as the only goal in the 20 minutes with RDP continuing to outshoot the Rattlers 23-11.
After being held scoreless in the middle frame, the Queens would finally regain their one-goal lead early in the third period with a goal from none other than captain Avery Lajeunesse (Bachelor of Education), who finished her weekend with three points, two goals and an assist.
The goals kept coming for the Queens in the third period as forward Jailyn Bablitz (Bachelor of Education) scored an insurance marker to put her team up 3-1 with just over 10 minutes left to play.
But the Rattlers answered back on a five-on-three powerplay to come within one of RDP. The Rattlers forward jumped on a loose puck in the crease and found the back of the net.
With the Queens holding a one-goal lead in the late stages of the third period, they were able to keep Medicine Hat off the scoresheet on yet another five-on-three powerplay.
The Queens held on to their one-goal lead for the rest of the third period and made it eight wins in a row with a 3-2 victory over the Rattlers.
Lajeunesse was named the player of the game for her performance at centre with her line scoring two of the three goals scored in Medicine Hat.
The NAIT Ooks will be in town next Saturday with a 7 pm puck drop for the Queens only game of the weekend.
Men's Hockey – SAIT Trojans 7 at Kings 4
For the second consecutive night, the Kings would open the scoring against the Trojans with forward Holden Knights (Business Certificate) getting on the scoresheet with a perfectly placed shot from the faceoff dot in their offensive zone.
But like last night as well, the Kings would get into penalty trouble with the Trojans being awarded two powerplays in the first 10 minutes of the game which they capitalized on the second one with a shot from the blueline finding its way through traffic, beating goaltender Kristian Lyon (Business Administration).
The Kings would answer back on a powerplay of their own with forward Jaxon Steele (Bachelor of Kinesiology) tipping home his third goal this weekend against the Trojans off a shot from defenceman Kevin Minnoch (Bachelor of Business Administration).
With just over a minute left to play in the first, the Trojans found the equalizer with yet another shot from the point beating Lyon.
Moments later after the puck took a bad bounce off the side of the net, the Trojans jumped on the free puck in the slot and one-timed it home to take their first lead of the game.
Despite being down by one at the end of the period, the Kings managed to outshoot the Trojans 12-4.
In the second period, the Trojans would add to their lead with two goals, one on a two-on-one breakaway and the other coming moments after killing off a long five-on-three powerplay.
After the second, the Kings still were outshooting the Trojans 26-17.
It was a good start to the final 20 minutes for the Kings. Facing a delayed penalty called, defence Tanner Sklaruk (Open Studies) fired a saucer pass over to Steele, who would be patient with the puck before lifting it over the blocker of the goaltender for his second goal of the game and fourth this weekend.
However, the Trojans regained their three-goal lead on one of their first few shots on goaltender Arik Weersink (Kinesiology and Sport Studies), who came in relief for Lyon to start the third period. Lyon finished his night stopping 12 of 17.
But the Kings responded to make it 6-4 with forward Regan Doig (Justice Studies) jumping on a rebound and firing it quickly into the back of the net off a shot from forward Sean Michalevich (Business Administration).
The Kings continued to crash the net and it paid off as Minnoch put home a rebound to give himself a goal and an assist on the evening. But it was later disallowed with the referees on the play coming to the conclusion that the Trojans goaltender was interfered with before the puck crossed the line.
The Trojans added an empty goal to seal the deal in Calgary and walk away with a 7-4 victory, extending the Kings losing skid to four games.
Following the conclusion of the game, forward Ryland McNinch (Bachelor of Education) was named the Kings player of the game.
The Kings will have next weekend off with their final two games of the semester being on the road in Caronport, SK where they will clash with the Briercrest College Clippers on November 24-25.