(The Women's Hockey League report is provided by the WHL's Lorie Springall and is published weekly during the season.)
WEEK 15 REPORT: Playoff Finals By Lorie Springall
Algoma Insurance raised the Keith McWatters Cup to the roof at McMeeken Arena after capturing their first playoff championship.
It was a nail-biter as it took three overtime periods for the league's best defensive team to beat powerhouse Skip's Kweok 5-4. Sharon Templeton's attempted centering pass to Debbie Beauchamp deflected off a Skip's defender into the net for the winning goal. For Templeton, who plays defence for Algoma, it was her first goal of the season.
Algoma's defence was stubborn, holding Skip's leader, Mona Jones, to only one point in the game. Jones had one goal along with teammate Natalie Barry. Debbie (Digger) Desgagne scored twice for the Kweok. Barry, Rose Jones and Chris Elliott each had one assist while Pam Booth had two helpers.
The loss was the first of the playoffs for Skip's who entered the game riding a 7 game winning streak dating back to February 13th.
It was an intense game from start to finish with Algoma Insurance going 3 for 4 on the power play and Skip's capitalizing on 2 of 4 power play chances. Algoma held a 3-1 lead after an early second period goal but Skip's rallied to even the score just before the end of the period.
In one of hockey's most exciting moments, a penalty shot was awarded to Algoma after a Skip's player covered the puck in her own crease. Lori Swan's chance to regain the lead at 8:22 of the final frame was denied by Joey (The Goalie) Montgomery who came up with a huge save to keep the game knotted at 3 apiece.
Six minutes later, Algoma's Debbie Beauchamp fired her second goal of the night to put Algoma ahead for the third time, but the never-say-die Skip's Kweok responded. With the goalie pulled Skip's jammed in a loose puck past Sherri Collins sending the game into overtime with just 53 seconds left on the clock.
Two overtime periods solved nothing as both goalies were unbeatable. Triple overtime forced the teams down to 3-on-3 and it only took 12 seconds for Templeton to bounce in the winner. Also scoring for Algoma were Jennifer Blahey and Lori Swan. Blahey, Beauchamp, Theresa Glover, Penny Glover, Michelle Irwin and Andrea Jarzombek all had one assist each.
Country Way took home the 'B' Division championship with a convincing 4-0 win over Crawford's Canines.
Teri Bonnell had the shut out, her second of the playoffs and third of the season. Francine (Flash) Floreani had a stellar 3-point performance, scoring twice and adding one assist. Sherry Boston and Christine Trivers also scored for the champs. Trish Secondi, Jennifer Johnson and Donna (Wheels) Smith each had one assist.
The Canines were unable to sustain any kind of attack against the defensive unit of Joanne Pine, Tammy Vince, Lorilee Matheson and Sheree Wright who were rock solid all game long.
*** WEEK 14: B Division Semi-Finals
Country Way and Crawford's Canines will play for the 'B' Division Championship Tuesday night after knocking off their opponents in semi-final action Sunday.
Country Way needed overtime to defeat Palmer Paving 2-1, while the Canines received two clutch goals with less than five minutes remaining to earn a 5-3 victory over White Oak Paint.
Joanne Pine was the hero for Country Way in the game's sixth overtime period. With the teams playing two-on-two, Pine connected with Christine Trivers to finally solve Palmer goaltender, Melissa Holder. Holder was outstanding, stopping 40 of 42 shots in the game.
Palmer's Margaret Skulech opened the scoring midway through the first period with her first of the season, a low wrist shot past Country Way's Teri Bonnell. Sandy Glibota and Leah-Anne Pine had the assists on the play.
Backed by Holder's solid netminding, fourth place Palmer Paving threatened to steal a trip to the finals, hanging on to their slim 1-0 lead until late in the third period.
County Way's Donna (Wheels) Smith broke the shut out with 3:20 remaining to send the game into overtime. Trivers had the only assist on Smith's marker, a shot that Holder managed to snag with her glove, but not before it had already crossed the goal line.
Both goalies were brilliant in the overtime periods staring down several breakaways. Pine's goal was her fourth winning goal of the season.
In the other semi final game, Crawford's Canines upset White Oak Paint in a thriller. After falling behind 3-1 Crawford's scored four unanswered goals for the win and a trip to the Big Show.
Shelli Ubriaco led the way for the Canines scoring a hattrick and adding one assist. Penny Soulier had three points with two goals and one assist. Single assists went to Sarah Fischer and pick up player, Andrea Jarzombek.
The Canines jumped out to a 1-0 lead but then gave up three goals in a row early in the second period. White Oak's Julie Hodkinson tied the game at 1-1 just 20 seconds into the second frame and then set up Lori (Big Bird) Bonnell only 36 seconds later.
Bonnell padded the lead with her second goal of the game four minutes later but a gutsy effort by Crawford's had White Oak handcuffed for the remainder of the game.
***