The St. Albert Slash are a going concern as the defending Esso Cup midget AAA female champions.
The near perfect 30-3-1 Slash are two wins away from returning to the Esso Cup when the three-time Final Frozen Four provincial winners host the British Columbia rep in the Pacific Region national qualifier.
“It means the world to get this first win under our belts and in two weekends from now we can really give it to B.C.,” said captain Madison Willan as the Slash celebrated with great gusto the 5-1 triumph against the Calgary Fire in Sunday’s final at Go Auto Arena.
The best-of-three Pacific Region is expected to start April 5 and the winner advances to the April 21 to 27 Esso Cup at Sudbury, Ont.
In the last two Pacific Regions against the Greater Vancouver Comets, the Slash swept the 2017 playoff in St. Albert and Willan sniped the only goal in the deciding game in the last period of the 2018 series in Richmond, B.C.
“It will be a grind again. We’ve got to make sure we’re staying on top of our stuff after winning here and get right back at it,” said assistant captain Taylor Anker of the break between provincials and Pacific Region opener. “We had it here in our first year (as provincial champions) and it was pretty cool. We had some good crowds and support from the community which was nice.”
The Slash roster of nine returnees from the first team to repeat in the Esso Cup’s 10-year history includes third-year players Willan, Anker, netminder Brianna Sank and assistant captains Isabelle Lajoie and Makenna Schuttler from the first Alberta team to win the national title.
“It means everything to know what it feels like to be on a team that’s won it in the past two years,” said centre Jenna Godwin, the Alberta Female Hockey League’s rookie of the year. “It’s definitely awesome just to know that we can go on and hopefully win the whole thing.”
Winning provincials was the first step towards three-peating at the Esso Cup.
“We were the favourites going in but it wasn’t easy. We had to battle for every game and for every inch,” Willan said of the Slash going 4-0 (17 GF/5 GA) at the third annual Final Frozen Four. “I’m just very happy for our third-years and for the girls who haven’t been here, just everyone really.”
Losing wasn’t an option for the Slash after averaging 3.96 goals for and only 0.86 goals against per game during the 26-3-1 AFHL regular season.
“It would’ve been awful to have to stop after how far we’ve come as a team,” Anker said. “I’m so proud of these girls.”
The Slash reached the final with results of 5-1 against the Red Deer Chiefs (9-18-3), 3-2 against Calgary (19-8-3) and 4-1 against the Lloydminster Steelers (22-7-1) in the round robin.
“There was a little bit of pressure especially knowing that against Lloyd and Calgary we had lost to them before,” Goodwin said. “But when we stick to our game and work hard we can beat any team.”
In the final, Willan and Goodwin potted a pair each on a line with Jaden Bogden and Sank stopped all 12 shots directed her way in a somewhat dicey first period by Slash standards for 26 saves overall.
“We were able to find the net today and that really paid off,” said Willan, who finished the final with five points. “Calgary pushed hard and we had to push harder back. Everyone did their own jobs pushing through. It was just amazing.”
An unsuccessful breakaway by Calgary early in the contest, two stout penalty kills by the Slash and a variety of deflections that either hit Sank or missed the net by the slimmest of margins kept it scoreless before Goodwin struck with the man advantage with 53 seconds left in the period as Bogden and Willan drew assists.
“We came out a little flatter than we would’ve liked to,” said Anker of the 15-12 shot count for the Slash in the opening 20 minutes. “After we scored the goal in the first, we really brought our energy up and we came out in the second period and really fought back.”
On the power play, the Slash buzzed the net before Goodwin had space to slot the puck past Jessica Flegel, who was tested 29 times.
“It was just off a real scramble and we worked really hard to put it in the net,” Goodwin said. “I hadn’t scored in the previous games in provincials and it felt awesome. It gave us the adrenalin to get even more. We kind of get down on ourselves when things aren't happening for us but to know that I put the first one in to give our team energy really means a lot.”
Anker, 18, agreed. “The way she kind of took charge and the way that line kind of stepped up for us was really important,” said the Slash defenceman, who was selected the team’s player of the game.
“It was pretty cool getting that honour. It’s a good feeling,” said Anker, a Grade 12 Archbishop Jordan High School student. “This is my third year and I kind of want to go out with a bang.”
Halfway through the second after the Slash killed off their third penalty of the game, Willan was stationed at the side of the net to deposit the team’s 19th shot as the defensive pairing Jaidia Pisani and Tianna Yaremko set up the 2-0 goal.
“Jaidia got the puck at the point and she took a good shot on net and I was able to get loose and get my stick on it so that was pretty special,” Willan said.
Before the period ended, Sank stymied a shooter in tight of the net for her 17th save as the Slash outshot Calgary 10-5 in the middle frame.
Willan’s second marker put the Slash up by three with 7:43 to play as Anker and Bogden drew assists.
“Taylor found me in the slot and I just got it and shot it quickly. I wasn’t really picking a spot, I was just trying to shoot it and it found the top corner,” said the leading scorer at provincials with four goals and 11 points.
Willan, 18, is coming off her second AFHL scoring title in three years with league highs of 24 goals, plus seven on the power play, 27 assists and 51 points in 30 games.
The first midget AAA player in the AFHL to surpass 100 career points (62-65-127 in 87 games) was the obvious choice as league MVP.
“It means a lot but then again I can’t do it without the support of my line and my teammates. They’re always there for me and they push me to be better every day so I can’t thank them enough,” said the diminutive Willan, the 2017 AFHL’s rookie of the year.
The Slash put the outcome out of reach with 4:54 left as Goodwin teamed up with Bogden and Willan to make it 4-0.
“It was just off the faceoff. Jaden and I have been working on that play the whole year with Maddy and we finally put it in the net. It really means a lot for all of us to do that,” Goodwin said.
The trio also combined on Bogden's winner Friday against Calgary with 1:52 remaining after Alexis Butz knotted it at two 19 seconds into the third with Dayle Ross and Lajoie picking up assists. Shots were 37-16 for the Slash with Sank in net.
“When our line scored to make it 3-2 it was really awesome,” said Goodwin, 15.
The 2018 AFHL bantam elite MVP with the Sherwood Park Royals compiled 12 goals and 30 points in 30 games with the Slash as the midget AAA league’s top rookie.
“It’s awesome especially with my teammates helping me get to that point. I couldn’t have done it without them for sure,” said the Grade 10 Archbishop Jordan student.
As time ticked down in the final, Calgary ended Sank’s bid for her 10th shutout of the season with a power-play tally on the team's 25th shot and Flegel pulled for the extra attacker.
The Slash closed out the championship with 29 shots and in the last minute of play, Willan’s pass up ice was knocked into an empty net by Schuttler while sprawled out on the ice in front of the faceoff circles after taking a tumble trying to reel in the puck.
As the Slash whooped it up on the ice with family and friends during the medal presentation, Willan was asked which provincial championship of the three was the sweetest of the bunch.
“All of them. Whenever you win, it’s a pretty special feeling but since this is my third year, this one probably means a lot,” said the St. Francis Xavier High School graduate.
