Yellowhead splits weekend

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Published on Thursday, December 3, 2015

Submitted article

The Neepawa Banner

The Yellowhead AAA Midget Female Chiefs welcomed the Winnipeg Avros to the Shoal Lake Communiplex for a set of weekend games to finish off their November schedule.  The Saturday, Nov. 28 tilt was a great game for the hosts in every way, except the final result, as they were defeated 1-0.

The Chiefs fired 60 shots on Avros netminder Lauren Taraschuk through three periods and five minutes of overtime and could not score that all important goal.  

In the first period, Hannah Fouillard buried a rebound only to have the referee blow the play dead just as the puck popped loose.  McKenna Paddock beat two defenders at the blue line in the second period and then rang the puck off the cross bar past Taraschuk.  

In the third, the hosts continued to dominate, with numerous chances, including a pair of end to end rushes from captain Jalyn Elmes, all ending in frustration at the net.  In the shootout, the Avros scored on their first shot, with McKenna Paddock tying the contest up on her first chance.  The shootout would go through 10 rounds before the Avros scored again, as Emma Greenwood was every bit as solid in the Chiefs goal.  Unfortunately, in the end, Yellowhead could not get the final goal and suffered their first regular season loss, although they did gain another point in the standings with the OT defeat.

On Sunday, Nov. 29, the teams faced off again and a determined bunch of Chiefs were focused on keeping the streak of no regulation time losses going.  The Avros were energized by their victory the night before, outshooting the Chiefs in the first period by a 9-6 count, with Emma Greenwood again providing steady goaltending for Yellowhead.   

It appeared that goaltender Lauren Taraschuk would again be the story for Winnipeg until the Chiefs finally broke through for a goal late in the first.  Karli Frederick won a battle on the wall in the Chiefs end and hit Karissa Cullum with a great break out pass.  The speedy winger broke into the Avros zone and worked the puck past a defender into the slot.  Jena Barscello took it from there as she deked around a defender and roofed a slick backhand shot that went bar down into the Avros goal.

Into the second, the Chiefs were in a tight game as Winnipeg tied it on a power-play at the midway point of the period.  Sam Geekie scored to put Yellowhead ahead before the period ended, as Hannah Fouillard and Tatum Amy cycled the puck in the Avros end before firing a low shot to the net where Geekie deflected it home, despite a rather large Avros defender draped over her.

With the lead in the third, Geekie was back to salt the victory away as she snapped a shot past Taraschuk to the stick side with the assist coming from Tatum Amy.  The Chiefs played a solid defensive game for the rest of the period and game and took the 3 – 1 victory to move into second place in the league standings.