Hot off of back-to-back wins against Walkerton, the Canadian Tire Atom Girls travelled cross-country to Markdale to do battle with the Grey Highland Shooting Stars on Saturday. The Kinucks faced the Stars earlier this year and came away with a win. The girls were feeling confident but knew, in the words of Coach Gratto in his inspirational pregame chat, that, “they aren’t going to lay down and let us roll over them. These girls are here for a game and they are going to battle hard!” And that is why they call him Coach, because right from the opening faceoff the girls were in a hockey game!
The starting line of Caydence Gibson, Ella Gratto and Morgan Talbot up front and defense pair of Gabby Legge and Jorja Scott made an immediate impact as they worked the puck in deep. Hard work along the boards led to several early chances at net but nothing made it across the goal line. Dakota Christie-Wylds centered wingers Kennedy Urie and Ela Jones who fed off the energy in the opening shift and carried the bulk of the play towards the Stars end with Taylor Carney and Dayle Chinnick holding the blue line. From then it was back and forth, with the ice tilted more towards the Grey Highland end as Kincardine pinned them in with relentless pressure. But it all came to naught as the first period ended with neither team able to score.
It only took 11 seconds in the second for Ella Gratto to break the deadlock on a pass from Gabby Legge. Could this be a sign that the constant fore-checking and offensive pressure was finally getting to the Stars? Try as they might for a second goal, the Kinucks just could not find the back of the net. With 3 minutes left in the 2nd period a fast skating Regan Boyce from the Stars broke in on Macara Brooks and slipped one by Brooks, who until that point had a perfect game going as she shuttled from post to post, keeping pucks safely out of harm’s way and covering them quickly during any net front scrambles.
With the teams knotted at 1, the third began as the game had gone for the 20 minutes prior; Kincardine carrying a majority of the play towards the Grey Highlands end, but with nothing to show for their efforts. The Kinucks’ supporters had over 3 minutes of anxious waiting as Gibson was called for hooking. To everyone’s shock and dismay she was joined shortly thereafter as penalty killer Urie was sent to the box for body contact! A tie game, and the girls were facing a 5 on 3! Such drama only happens in real life folks. The Kincardine defensive corps of Carney, Chinnick, Scott and Legge stood tall and Brooks hunkered down between the pipes. Gratto and Christie-Wylds alternated as the forwards on the kill. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as Gibson stepped back on with no damage done. Talbot and Jones took their turn corralling the loose puck and hunting down any skirmishing Stars until the teams were at even strength. Surviving the 5 on 3 ordeal lit a fire under their skates as a few minutes later, with a shade more than 2 minutes left on the clock, Gibson connected on a pass from Christie-Wylds and Ela Jones to put the Kinucks ahead by one. That goal would serve as the game winner as a last gasp goalie pull by the Stars yielded no results.
It was an exciting game and both teams should be commended on a solid effort. Dakota Christie Wylds walked out of the change room with the hard hat for her dogged determination during the penalty kill.