Holly Borrett is stopping almost everything directed her way.
The 15-year-old St. Albert Slash netminder has let only five pucks slip past her on 112 shots while going 8-0 in her inaugural season with the two-time defending Esso Cup midget AAA national champions.
At the Christmas break, Borrett leads all Alberta Female Hockey League tenders with a Lilliputian-size 0.63 goals-against average, is tied with Bella McKee (8-2-1, 1.08 GAA) of the Lloydminster Steelers for the most wins and shares the league lead in shutouts with McKee, the 2018 AFHL most valuable player, and Slash teammate Brianna Sank (7-1-1, 0.78 GAA) at four apiece.
“It’s a big accomplishment so far,” said Borrett, who backstopped the St. Albert Sharks to the 2018 AFHL midget elite provincial final. “Compared to last year, these games are more intense so it feels really good.”
Is Borrett surprised by her success?
“Kind of but the team in front of me is really good so I’ve got that going for me, too,” said Borrett of the first-place 15-1-1 Slash.
Borrett’s last start was the 17-save performance in the 1-0 decision against the host Calgary Fire (11-7-1) Dec. 15.
The Slash were penalized eight times after Dayle Ross capitalized on the power play in the first period.
“I made some good saves and there were a lot of power-play chances they had,” said Borrett of her “best game” of the season.
As for Borrett’s strengths, “I would say moving across the crease and playing the puck. Sometimes on the power play I sauce it up to the far blueline,” said the Grade 11 Bellerose Composite High School student.
With the graduation of Camryn Drever from the 2018 Hockey Alberta Team of the Year, Borrett was brought on board to form a rock-solid netminding tandem with Sank, one of five third-year players on the Slash roster.
Borrett was coming off an impressive season with the Sharks while compiling a 12-1-1 record, 1.07 GAA and four shutouts in the regular season for the 21-4-1 north division leaders, plus two goose eggs in the provincial qualifier series and another in the midget elite tournament as recipient of the league’s top netminder award.
"I was pretty proud to get it. I was a midget first year in a league against 18-year-olds,” said the former bantam elite St. Albert Raider.
The different between midget elite and midget AAA, according to Borrett, is the pace and intensity.
“Last year it was kind of a slower game, but this year everyone can shoot well so it’s harder and faster.”
When league play resumes after the holidays, the Slash have 13 games left before hosting the Final Frozen Four provincials, March 22 to 24, and the winner will also have home-ice advantage against the British Columbia champion in the best-of-three Pacific Region qualifier for the Esso Cup, April 21 to 27 in Sudbury, Ont.
The Slash are two points ahead of second-place Lloydminster (15-4-1) with three games in hand.
“It’s going to be a grind because all the teams want to take the win from us when we play but if we just keep doing what we’re doing we’ll get there,” Borrett said.
The Slash ring in the new year Jan. 4 against the Red Deer Chiefs (7-10-3) at 8:15 p.m. at Go Auto Arena.
