Feb 26, 2024 | Dave French | 90 views
U-18 Girls Continue Playoff Action
The GC Financial U-18 C girls team finished a stretch of 5 games in 9 days with an impressive 3-0-2 record in that span, improving on their playoff position and provincials qualification.
On February 17 the girls travelled to Chatham in playoff action and came away with a 3-3 tie. With a shorter roster than normal, the girls put up a valiant effort and led 3-1 on 2 goals by Andrea Kelly and one by Josie Walker but were not able to hold off their opponents who scored 2 in the third to tie the game as both teams took home a point. Assists went to Claire McCorkindale, Haileigh Templeman, and Abby Gemmell.
On Feb. 21, Mitchell hosted the Lambeth Lancers who had been unbeaten in the playoff round robin to that point.
The Meteors played hard all game exchanging chances but the goal tending duo of Kora Smith and Shawni DeJong stood tall. Finally in the 3rd Andrea Kelly scored on a nice feed from Brooklyn Boville to open the scoring. Lambeth pulled their goalie and scored with 13 seconds left to tie the game for a 1-1 finish.
The next night we travelled to Blyth to take on the Huron Heat in provincial playdown action and came away with a 4-1 win. Jade Huygen opened the scored in the second with a nice wrist shot off an offensive faceoff. The Heat would tie it up before the end of the period but then the 3rd belonged to Mitchell. Boville scored to give us the lead with assists from Kelly and Alexis Gettler. Kelly would then add another on a pass from Boville before also adding the final goal into an empty net with an assist going to Walker.
On the weekend the girls posted two shutout wins with great goaltending and total team defense.
Saturday was a 2-0 victory over the St. Thomas Panthers. Kelly opened the scoring when she pounced on a rebound from Gettler and Walker added another after stealing the puck in the offensive zone and firing a quick shot past the netminder.
The next morning the Meteors made the short trip to Stratford to take on the Aces and came away with a 3-0 victory. Brooklynn French opened the scoring on a wrist shot from the right circle with an assist going to Huygen. Ally DeJong took a pass from Boville and added another on a beautiful wrist shot from the point that found it's way through a number of players and past a screened goaltender. French then found a streaking McCorkindale who went in all alone and made no mistake to cap off the scoring and send Mitchell home with the victory. Kora Smith and Shawni DeJong shared the netminding duties for both games to combine in the shutouts.