Historic tourney win for Blades

Tournament victories and the local Pinewood Blades Bantam girls’ hockey team aren’t usually mentioned in the same sentence, unless it was in reference to the squad never having one to their credit.
Welcome to Revisionist History 101, Pinewood style.
Carly Holt cashed in the rebound of Nina Bird’s original shot with 19.8 seconds left in regulation time to give the Blades a 1-0 win over the Dryden Huskies in the Bantam final at the Kenora Women’s/Girls Hockey Association tournament last weekend.
“It was hard work by every player there that did it,” an elated Pinewood coach Dennis Calder said about his team finally reaching the top of the mountain.
“They have a true dedication to the game of hockey,” he added. “When that goal went in, there was pandemonium.”
While winning the big games has been an unusual occurrence for the Blades during their existence, Calder said there was nothing out of the ordinary about Holt being on the scene in the game’s closing moments.
“Carly’s an intense player who likes to drive to the net,” he noted. “She’s a Muskie also, so she really benefits from the extra ice time she gets.”
Defensive play also was an integral part of their weekend success as the Blades surrendered only four goals in five games.
While understandably not wanting to show parental favouritism, Calder was quietly pleased with the performance of his daughter, Melissa, who posted the shutout in the team’s grandest conquest.
“We have a very strong goaltender,” he smiled. “But the defence played very well in front of her, too. They’re buying into the system.”
Pinewood served notice right from the opening face-off of the tourney that they were keen on ditching their championship jinx. Bird scored the only goal while her teammates kept a lid on the Dryden Hillcrest offence in what turned out to be a 1-1 draw.
The Blades then jumped on Kenora Taggs in their next outing for a pair of first-period goals, and sealed the victory with four in the third for a 6-1 win.
Holt had a natural hat trick in the third while Bird added two goals and two assists. Miranda Kellar had the other goal for Pinewood, with Cassie McGowan netting Kenora’s lone marker.
Kenora White displayed their own offensive ineptitude in the face of the ironclad Pinewood defence as the Blades skated away with a 2-0 win in their final round-robin game.
Bird and Deanna Saunders, on a pass from Danielle Gibson, scored 19 seconds apart midway through the third period to pocket the win.
The semi-finals brought about a rematch with Dryden Hillcrest, who had fire in their eyes in building a 2-0 lead on goals by Caitlyn Egli and Jen Steiner.
But the Blades showed they had the burn in their bellies, too, tying the game on goals by Kelsey McLean and Brittany Galusha before the end of the second.
Bird then flew in to play the heroine with 6:35 left in the third, converting a pass from Saunders for the game-winner in the 3-2 victory.
“We head to Roseau for a tournament in two weeks and this [tournament win] is going to be a huge confidence builder for us,” said Calder.