Feb 04, 2018 | Trevor Russwurm | 756 views
Harmer Scores OT Winner As Novice Girls Capture Silver Stick Championship
Ava Harmer scored the game-winning goal at the 7:29 mark of the 3-on-3 overtime period as the Dodge Caravan Kids Meteor Novice C Girls captured the Silver Stick Regional Championship on Feb 4th in Saugeen Shores, defeating the Sarnia Lady Sting 4-3.
The fans were provided with a thrilling matchup, as the teams traded several scoring chances all game, and both goaltenders were outstanding in keeping the score close. Looking to avenge an earlier round-robin loss, Sarnia came out skating hard and matching the Meteors with several key rushes and breakaways. Mitchell opened the scoring midway through the first period as Selina Gethke was parked on the doorstop to knock in a power play goal on a rebound off a shot from Harmer. Sarnia stormed back early in the second with two goals in less than a minute of play to briefly take a 2-1 lead but the Meteors would tie it up again seconds later. Harmer broke in all alone and her shot was stopped, but Camryn Medhurst was trailing the play to bang in the juicy rebound. Later in the second, Medhurst would strip a Sting defenseman of the puck at the blue line, skating in all alone to bury her second goal of the game as the locals would take the lead. A scramble in the crease with little over three minutes remaining in the game led to a Sarnia tying goal, and the horn would go and it was on to ten minutes of 3-on-3 overtime. The locals looked to be in trouble when Sarnia was awarded a penalty shot following a desperate takedown of a breakaway player by Abigayle Van Bakel, but the shooter missed the net with a high shot on goalie MacArthur. The game would continue, setting the stage for Harmer's heroics moments later following a hard fore-checking effort with Medhurst to keep the pressure on in the offensive zone.
The Meteors began tournament play on Friday morning with their first meeting of the weekend with Sarnia. Things started a little flat for the locals as MacArthur was called upon early in the opening period to stop two breakaways before Van Bakel would score on a breakaway of her own with two minutes remaining in the period. Van Bakel and Harmer each scored two goals to pace the attack in the 5-0 win. Maren Marshall would add a single marker on an unassisted end-to-end rush. Avery Smith and Marshall would each record assists.
Game two of the tournament followed on Friday afternoon as Mitchell squared off with the Kincardine Kinucks, defeating them with a second consecutive shutout score, this time with Gethke between the pipes. Van Bakel notched a hat trick, and also scoring were Marshall, MacArthur, and Medhurst. Grace Bach added two assists, with single helpers awarded to Alayna McKay, Kayla Visneskie, Emma Groenestege, Avery Smith, MacArthur, Van Bakel, and Marshall.
Winning the opening two games sent the Meteors on a bye right to the semi-final at 6pm on Saturday, facing the TCDMHA Rebels who would be playing their third game of the day with a short bench. Advantage Meteors, as Medhurst quickly got things rolling scoring less a minute in from Zoey Michel and Harmer. Medhurst would add a second goal later, and Marshall, McKay, and Van Bakel would also notch singles. TCDMHA would score late in the third to spoil another shutout bid for MacArthur, ending in a 5-1 victory to earn a berth in the final on Sunday morning.