Staff
The local Kaemingh Esso Atom girls’ hockey team was on both ends of a heart-breaker in Dryden over the weekend.
Fortunately for the team, a 1-0 round-robin setback steeled Esso’s nerves in the bronze-medal game of the Kathy Sanders Memorial Tournament as they outlasted the Kenora Flyers 2-1 in a shootout.
Esso opened the tournament Friday with an 8-0 dousing of the Dryden Flames on the strength of five first-period goals.
Alyssa Alderson provided the spark in the early going, notching goals just 1:29 apart to kick off the game.
Emma Noga, Sara Jackson, and Siobhan MacKintosh also notched first-period markers to boost the lead to 5-0.
Taylor Steinke accounted for the only scoring of the second while Noga and MacKintosh each scored their second goals of the game in the third.
Steinke was named player of the game for her efforts.
Later Friday, Esso matched up with the Thunder Bay Bears in a defensive showdown.
Esso was blanked 1-0 as Carly Hennessey provided all the offence the Bears needed midway through the second period.
Esso goalie Carly McKinnon allowed only one shot past her after facing a barrage, earning the nod as player of the game.
But Kaemingh bounced back Saturday morning, declawing the Kenora Ice Cats 4-0.
Noga provided a pair of first-period goals to stake Fort Frances to a 2-0 lead.
Alderson then tallied early in the second before Noga completed her hat trick with 39.2 seconds to go in the frame to round out the scoring.
Defender Morgan Deschamps was given the player of the game honours.
The win advanced Esso to the bronze-medal game, where the Kenora Flyers awaited.
The game remained scoreless through two before Kenora’s Kyran Fisher broke the deadlock 50 seconds into the third.
Undeterred, Maighyn DeGagne knotted things up with 5:23 left to force overtime.
Alderson and MacKintosh both found twine in the shootout to lift Kaemingh to the 2-1 victory and bronze medal, while McKinnon shut the door on all Kenora shooters.
