Bantam Girls Take Walkerton Series
The West Shore Bantam Rep girls were victorious in their playoff series against Walkerton. The Kinucks needed four games, of a possible 5, to obtain the 6 points required to claim the District 27 title, the first step toward the Provincial Championship. The girls posted 2 wins and 2 ties to earn the opportunity to advance.
Game #1 in Walkerton on January 30 resulted in a 1-1 tie. Kincardine dominated the play in the first period with end to end action but neither team could light up the scoreboard. Kincardine pulled ahead in the second with Courtney Surridge's top corner, glove side shot. The Kinucks held on to their slim lead until midway through the final period when the Walkerton squad capitalized on a power play to tie it up, ending the match 1-1.
The Kinucks controlled Game #2 at home on January 31, solidly winning 4-1. As in the previous game, the first period was scoreless. Walkerton scored their single goal of the game early in the second period on a scramble around the net, somehow managing to poke the puck over the line. Jordan Murchie countered four minutes later on Cassidy Colhoun's pass in front. Kincardine took the lead soon after as Mikhayla Bowes seized Victoria Krulicki's great one time pass, and got the insurance marker on a good cycle down low between Krulicki and Bowes which led to a pass out front to Surridge who beat the goalie high glove side. West Shore put the game away in the third when Madison McFadden tipped in Erica Gade's point shot. Defence partners Dakota Smith/Kristy Parsons and Laura Mangotich/Erica Gade played hard and smart, protecting goalie Morgan Baker from the opposition, competently clearing the puck out of the zone, and setting the stage for the forwards' attacks.
Game #3 February 4, resulted in a 1-0 win for the Kinucks. Late in the first period, a great individual effort from Surridge bringing the puck out of the corner with a quick wrister under the bar gave the Kincardine team the only goal of the game. Walkerton had a strong forecheck but the girls played sound defence and Baker made key saves to shut them out.
The girls came out flying and determined to win in game #4 on February 7, peppering the Walkerton goal with great scoring chances. Midway through the first, Parsons outletted to Kristen Derksen who hit Krulicki in stride sending her in alone. She went high glove side to give the Kinucks the lead. Despite a great effort for the next two periods the girls were unable to get the next goal. With 44 seconds to go in the third, with the Walkerton goalie pulled, a redirected point shot found its way into the Kincardine net. Final score 1-1. With the tie, the girls secured their 6th point of the series giving them the District 27 title. Next up for the girls' playoffs will be a series with the South Huron Sabres for the chance to represent the O region at the provincial tournament in April.
Submitted by L. Parsons, with contributions from C. Colhoun
