Yellowhead Chiefs in MFMHL final

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Published on Thursday, March 19, 2015

By Eoin Devereux

The Neepawa Banner

The Yellowhead Chiefs are a step closer to winning their first ever Manitoba Female Midget Hockey League championship. Last week, the team was able to defeat the Westman Wildcats in their semi final series three games to one.

The deciding game was played at the Shoal Lake Communiplex on Thursday, Mar. 12. The Chiefs took control early but were unable to take advantage of their opportunities. The period would end in a scoreless tie, with Yellowhead outshooting their opponent by an 8-6 margin.

In the second period, it would be Westman who would strike first, recovering a turnover in the Chiefs zone, with Wildcats player Jaycee Magwood tapping the puck past goaltender Miranda Cook to make the score 1-0 Westman.  In the final minute of the second, Yellowhead was able to gain the Wildcats zone, leading to Hannah Fouillard of St Lazare snapping a shot into the Westman goal to tie things up a 1-1. Tashel Scantlebury of Foxwarren and Jalyn Elmes of Brandon would garner assists on the play. 

The game turned into a defensive struggle in the third, as both teams looked to limit the opposition’s chances.  Then with just under 10 minutes remaining in the game, Yellowhead was able to take advantage of a power play, when Abby Krzyzaniak of Neepawa gained control of the puck in the neutral zone, carried it into the Wildcats zone and snapped a shot past the goalie to give the Chiefs a 2-1 lead.  

Westman would press for the tying goal for the remainder of the period but could not solve Cook, who stonewalled the Wildcats the rest of the way. The game would end with the Chiefs celebrating a well earned game and series victory.

With the win, Yellowhead moved on to face the Central Plains Capitals for the league title. No matter who wins this series, history will be made this year, as it’ll be the first time since the league’s inception in 2008-2009, that a club other than the Pembina Valley Hawks will be crowned champ. 

Yellowhead head coach Derek Tibbatts said his team has been playing some consistent hockey as of late and they’re optimistic about the final round.

“Heading into the playoffs, we were feeling pretty confident about our chances,” said Tibbatts. “We’re healthy right now. The grind of the playoffs has not worn us down that badly, so we’re going into the final in a favourable position.”

Tibbatts noted that the Central Plains Capitals will be a very difficult challenge, as they are a smart team that take advantage of their opposition’s mistakes.

“They’re a hard working club. Solid goaltending. Their top lines are very aggressive and can put a lot of pressure on you in the defensive zone,” said Tibbatts. “In a lot of way, we both play a similar style. It’s going to be a real back and forth battle between us.”

Tibbatts’ estimation of the Capital’s resolve proved to be true in game one of the MFMHL final, which was played on Tuesday Mar. 17 in Portage la Prairie at the PCU Centre. The Chiefs hit the ice facing a healthy Central Plains roster known for their defensive skill, who were looking to limit Yellowhead’s chance in the offensive zone. For the first 40 minutes the Caps were able to limit the scoring chances, resulting in a 0-0 tie entering the final period.

The Chiefs aggressive play would not be denied though, as just over two minutes into the final frame, Hannah Street of Shoal Lake was able to slip a shot past the Central Plains goaltender and lift Yellowhead to a 1-0 lead.  Hannah Fouillard and Cass Lyttle of Foxwarren assisted on the score.  

Yellowhead would keep the pressure on throughout the final 15 minutes not content to sit on the one goal lead until with five minutes to play. Birtle’s Tatum Amy fired a shot that the goalie was unable to stop. Sam Geekie of Strathclair was attributed with an assist on the Chiefs second goal.   

The Capitals refused to give up though and that paid off with a late power play goal to cut the lead in half and setting up a dramatic end.

After few close calls in the final minute, the Chiefs were able to clear the puck from the defensive zone, allowing Sam Geekie to fire a shot from centre ice into the Capitals empty net, sealing the game one win for Yellowhead.  

The Chiefs will try to take a 2-0 series lead when they home ice Saturday, Mar. 21 at the Communiplex in Shoal Lake. Opening face-off is set for 7:30 pm.