Women’s Hockey Crowned Provincial Champions
What started as a conversation a year and a half ago turned into a Provincial Championship. The Lakeland College Kings Energy Group Rustlers women's hockey team capped off an amazing season with an Alberta Junior Female Hockey League Championship on March 20th in Lethbridge.
After making it out of the North division with best of 3 series victories over the Fort Saskatchewan Fury and Edmonton Wolves, the Rustlers set their sights on a Provincial title. They faced off against the Lethbridge Eagles in a best of 5 series. March 12th and 13th the Rustlers hosted the Eagles at the Russ Robertson arena in Lloydminster. In front of a large crowd both days, the Rustlers split the weekend series with the Eagles winning the first game 4–1 and the Rustlers bouncing back with a 5–1 win in game two.
Saturday, March 19th the team boarded the bus for Lethbridge to take on the Eagles.
Securing at least one victory over the two days would guarantee a game five back home. The game was a back and forth affair with the Rustlers jumping out to a 2 – 0 lead on goals by Asha Petrie and Lana Duriez in the first period. Lethbridge scored a goal in the 2nd period but Taylor Wilkinson responded with a goal for the Rustlers to take the team into the 3rd period with a 3–1 lead. To start the third period the Eagles scored a quick goal to draw within one but the Rustlers' Kendal Davidson scored 15 seconds later to regain their two goal lead. Lethbridge battled back and scored a power-play goal with 13 minutes left before captain Jayde Cadieux stretched the lead to two goals with just under 8 minutes left in the game. The Rustlers carried the lead to the end of the game securing the victory.
Sunday morning the Rustlers were hoping to win their third game and return to Lloydminster AJFHL champions but the Eagles were not going to go down without a fight. The Eagles jumped out to a 2–1 lead after the first period with Lana Duriez scoring for the Rustlers. The Eagles added another goal at the beginning of the second period to go up 3-1 before Kori Paterson and then Jayde Cadieux responded for the Rustlers. After two periods the game was tied at three.. The third period was scoreless which sent the game into overtime. The first extra period did not resolve anything but in double overtime, Duriez scored the game-winning goal sending the Rustler fans into celebration mode. The Lakeland College Kings Energy Group Rustlers left Lethbridge as the provincial champions.
The year has been a great one for women's hockey. It can truly be described as a community and Rustlers Nation victory. All of those who contributed to the creation of the team and supported the program were a part of the team's success this year.
