CALGARY – The Dinos women's hockey team regained their lead of the ACAC after fighting back from a two goal deficit to beat the SAIT Trojans 3-2 Saturday night. The Dinos fell from first place in the ACAC into a tie with the Trojans Friday night following a 3-2 loss.
The Dinos found themselves in a tough spot early in the game following a powerplay goal by Tonya Faasse halfway through the first period. Faasse caught the Dinos on a line change and charged down the ice in a one on one with Dinos goalie Katie Urness, who was beaten by the ACAC's top scorer.
The remainder of the first period was back and forth with neither team gaining much advantage despite a cascade of penalties against SAIT and then the Dinos in the latter half of the first.
The hole deepened 15 seconds into the second period when SAIT forward Bret Seaton parked herself in front of Urness, received the puck from her player behind the net and put SAIT up 2-0.
Dinos captain Beccy Niehaus, not to be deterred, started the ball rolling for the home team at 4:47 into the second; she grabbed a Trojan bound pass in front of SAIT goalie Lindsay Coghlan and, firing the puck into the nearly open net, brought the Dinos within one.
“We knew we had to get it deep because this goalie plays the puck a lot,” Niehaus commented following the game. ”We had to make her pay for it.”
The tying goal came at 10:49 in the second. Elana Lovell, the Dinos' leading scorer, jumped out of the box after serving a body contact penalty and was fed a pass by Megan Frohaug. Finding herself one on one with the SAIT defender and in the offensive zone Lovell had no issue beating the defender and then the goalie to tie the game.
The momentum continued in the second period for the Dinos who got the go ahead goal with 36 seconds left in the period. Tiara Schoenroth was the recipient of another Frohaug pass, this time travelling from the blueline toward the SAIT net; seeing her chance Tiara ripped a quick shot that found mesh and put the Dinos in the lead.
“With this team we go back and forth,” commented Niehaus following the win. ”It'll never be a blowout, but we played hard until the end.”
Tense moments ruled the third when with two minutes left the Trojans had a serious chance to tie the game; following a scrum in front of the net a Trojan player emerged on the open side of the net and fired a wrist-shot that beat Urness. The goal was waved off immediately as the net was off its moorings.
The frenzy continued into the last minute when SAIT, with a six on four advantage, crashed the net causing a dog-pile and a rolling puck; fortunately for the Dinos the puck didn't find the net allowing the clock to run down and give the Dinos back first place in the ACAC.
The shot count speaks to the defensive prowess of these teams as the Dinos took 15 shots to SAIT's 17. the powerplay was slightly more effective for the Trojans who took their first goal with the man advantage, making them one for six on the night. The Dinos powerplay continued to be ineffective failing to capitalize on five SAIT penalties including one five on three advantage.
This win puts the Dinos back on top of the ACAC with an 8-2 record while the Trojans fall back to second at 7-2.
Next weekend marks an important matchup as a Dinos win will give them breathing room going into the winter break and a SAIT win will tie these teams for first again. That game faces off at the SAIT Campus Centre on Saturday, Nov. 29 with a 7 p.m. start time.
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