The St. Albert Slash continues to dominate as the team to fear with 12 wins without a loss in the Alberta Female Hockey League.
The Slash mark of excellence includes five shutouts with nine newcomers with the Esso Cup midget AAA champions.
“It’s a little bit surprising and a lot of people were kind of also surprised, but we’ve worked really hard too and it’s paid off for sure with all of us coming together,” said centre Jenna Goodwin, a returnee from the powerhouse 36-5-2 team that three-peated at nationals.
The 12-0 record includes three one-goal decisions in the opening five games and one was a shootout result.
“We started off a little bit weaker, but we came together and we’re really starting to go out there and play hard,” said defenceman Jaidia Pisani.
“We’ve definitely had some difficulties, but we’ve kind of worked through it,” Goodwin added. “We’re just really structured and know our jobs as individuals.
“We came together really easily, too, which helps a lot.”
Ten wins came in regulation time and the latest was 1-0 against the Calgary Fire (6-5) last Saturday at Father David Bauer Arena.
“It was a pretty big win to keep our streak going,” Pisani said. “We didn't really come out strong in the first period, but we started to pick it up toward the third.
“It was really close.”
Captain Alli Reich’s unassisted effort at 5:10 of the third period was the difference against the team the Slash beat in the 2019 Final Frozen Four provincial final in St. Albert.
The Slash finished 0-for-6 on the power play, including three with the extra attacker after Reich’s team-leading seventh goal and 11th point of the season and one was a four-minute man advantage.
“It was pretty big for us just to get our confidence back up after not scoring. We had lots of chances, but not a lot of shots (18 in total) so getting that one was kind of a relief,” Goodwin said. “It was definitely a battle, but we worked hard and to finish the game with a win was big.”
Holly Borrett (6-0, 0.86 GAA), the AFHL shutout leader with there, was tested 12 times.
The clean sheet was the second in four games after Slash rookie Mabel Maltais (6-0, 1.15 GAA) handled 18 shots in the 4-0 decision against the Edmonton Pandas (6-4) Nov. 3 for her second shutout.
The Slash are averaging a microscopic 0.83 goals against.
“We have a really good D zone structure and that’s what we work on a lot in practice so everyone knows to go to their position and go to the house first,” said Pisani, one of the top-scoring Slash blueliners with one goal and five assists.
Even with a shorthanded lineup, the Slash proved they are the defending champions for a reason while going 4-0 (one overtime win and three in regulation time) earlier this month with five players – Borrett, defenceman Dayle Ross and forwards’ Jaden Bogden, Natalie Kieser and Brooklyn Schroeder – unavailable with Team Alberta at U18 nationals.
“We have a lot of character in our room, like a ton,” Pisani said of the Slash’s will to win while overcoming adversity. “There is a ton of depth too. There is not one player who is better than the other. Everyone knows what their roles are on the ice too which makes a big difference.”
Pisani, 16, a second-year player, notes there is one main similarity between the current team and the 26-3-1 Slash in the 2018/19 AFHL regular season.
“Both teams work really hard, but it’s definitely like two different years,” said the Grade 11 St. Albert Catholic High School student.
Goodwin, 16, agrees. “It’s a lot different from last year with different players coming from different teams, but the bond of our team has definitely improved in just knowing each other more and playing on the ice and knowing where you’re going to be,” said the 2019 AFHL’s midget AAA rookie of the year with 12 goals and 30 points in 30 games.
The Grade 11 Vimy Ridge student from Sherwood Park is second in team scoring with six goals and nine points and lately has been flanked by a pair of returnees in Schroeder and Bronwyn Boucher.
They are among the 11 veterans carrying on the tradition of excellence as the Slash strives for an unprecedented fourth-straight Final Frozen Four championship, Pacific Regional national qualifier series victory and Esso Cup.
“When you walk into the (team’s Go Auto Arena) room and you see all of our signs saying Esso and Slash and you see the big (Esso Cup) banners there is definitely that pressure to go that far again,” Goodwin said. “The feeling of winning Esso is amazing and you want everyone to have that same feeling and it’s definitely something we talk about a lot.”
Friday the Slash travelled to play the Red Deer Chiefs (1-9-1) and the score was unavailable at press time.
Sunday the Slash visits the Lloydminster Steelers (5-6-1) at 1 p.m.
