Staff
By any calculation, scoring 19 goals and drawing six assists would be considered a pretty productive hockey season for most players.
For Annalise Hayes, those numbers amounted to one very successful tournament here over the weekend. And as amazing as she is, Hayes alone doesn’t define the Fort Frances Novice Timbits team.
With Pat Langtry and Pete LeDrew offering guidance behind the bench, this squad thrives on a solid work ethic, a relentless pursuit of the puck, and a group smile that rarely disappears no matter what the score.
Such was the case Sunday afternoon as the Fort Frances crew faced off for the local Novice girls’ tournament crown against a very game group of Emo Rocket Girls.
The crowd was large and loud as the two teams raced back and fourth in the opening frame with several chances at both ends and razor sharp netminding by Timbits’ MacKenna Watson and the Rockets’ Sydney Beck.
After a scoreless first period, Hayes made a dramatic rush up ice for the game’s first goal just 45 seconds into the second period.
Skating behind her own goal, Hayes drew all three Rocket forwards towards her before dashing up the left side and around one Rocket defender, then to the middle, deking past the last defender and in on goal where, after shooting just wide, she gathered up the puck behind the net and wrapped it around neatly for a 1-0 Timbit lead.
More end-to-end action ensued, with Taylor Croswell breaking free and being stonewalled by Watson. Then it was Beck stopping Hayes, and then Watson (with help from the goal post) stealing one from Kaitlyn Hay.
With just over four minutes remaining in the second period, Hayes went coast to coast, eluding all five Emo skaters and whipping home her second goal of the game for a 2-0 Timbits lead.
Early in the third, Bryanna Dustin slid a beautiful backhander along the ice and just under the outstretched glove of Beck to give the Timbits a 3-0 lead. Minutes later, Hanna LeDrew made a perfect bounce pass off the right side boards to send Taylor Steinke in all alone and the fleet-footed Timbit defender fired a hard, low shot that squeaked through for a 4-0 margin.
The Rockets, however, would not allow the Fort squad to lay a doughnut on them as Hay drove a hard blast from the point through a maze of players to sneak one past Watson and make the final 4-1.
It was the third tournament victory of the season for the Fort Frances Timbits, who outscored their opposition 29-13 over the weekend here.
The Timbits had opened the tournament Friday afternoon with a 4-4 draw against the Rockets. Hayes had a pair of goals, with Maighyn Degagne and Brianna Eldridge (who had the misfortune of suffering a spiral fracture of her tibia on Friday night and missed the rest of the tournament) also lighting the lamp.
Avery Cates and Croswell scored two goals each for Emo.
Timbits then faced off against a strong International Falls under-eight club. Hayes popped five goals in a row for Timmy’s, but the Falls got a pair of late second-period markers to make it 5-2 after two.
The teams traded goals in the third, with Maddy Morrison denting the twine for Timbits enroute to a 6-4 victory.
In a rise-and-shine contest early Saturday morning, the Timbits crew showed no fear of the Kenora Black Cats, dispatching them 5-1. Hayes netted a pair in the first and two in the second while helping Morrison set up Degagne for their other marker.
Timbits then hit the ice against Bert’s Towing (Dryden). Goals were few and far between through two periods as Hailey Tucker (from Hayes) and Katelyn Sillery for Bert’s had the only goals.
Timbits hit the gas in the third frame, however, as Hayes took charge. firing home four in a row before teaming with Morrison to set up Degagne with just three seconds to go to make the final 5-1.
As the draw would have it, Timbits then had a return engagement with Bert’s Towing in the semi-finals Sunday morning.
In a much tighter match, the two squads heated up a chilly ’52 Canadians Arena, trading goals, with Hayes sniping a pair and Degagne registering one to help Timbits win 3-2 and secure a berth in the championship final.
Emo Novice Rockets
The Emo Rockets certainly were a force to be reckoned with this past weekend as they dispatched Novice squads left and right en route to Sunday’s championship final.
The tone was set early in the tournament as they went toe-to-toe with the Fort Frances Timbits on Friday afternoon and earned a hard-fought 4-4 draw.
The Rockets thundered to the ice later Friday for a date with the Kenora White Lightning. After a scoreless first period, Hay put the Rockets on the board with the only goal of the second period.
Just 41 seconds into the third, Cates slipped one in to boost the Emo lead to 2-0.
After a late Kenora goal, Croswell slammed home an insurance marker with eight seconds left to seal a 3-1 Emo victory.
On Saturday afternoon, the Rockets doused the Lake of the Woods Novice Flames by a 6-1 count. Croswell (from Giselle Smith) and Cates (from Ali Jackson) provided Emo with a 2-1 advantage after the first period.
Jackson and Cates then netted unassisted tallies in the second to secure a 4-1 advantage after two.
The third frame was all Emo as Cates set up Croswell to make it 5-1, then Pasquel Shortreed (assisted by Sarah Calder) finished off the 6-1 romp.
Then late Saturday afternoon, the Rockets hooked up with Bert’s Towing from Dryden. With both netminders rather stingy, the clubs battled to a 2-2 tie.
Hay (from Tori Shephard) and Cates (unassisted) had the Rockets goals in that game.
Being one victory away from the big dance Sunday afternoon, the Rockets gave the Kenora Black Cat goalie some red glare as they lit the lamp no less than six times in 30 minutes of action on their way to a 6-0 whitewashing and a date in the championship final.
Croswell led the way with a goal and two assists, Smith and Cates each chipped in one goal and an assist, with Hay, Jackson, and Karrigan Johnston also registering goals.
Shortreed added an assist in the semi-final win for Emo.
It was a very strong performance from the Emo squad, which finished with three wins and two ties before dropping the final to Timbits and taking home the silver medals.
