2011 Esso Cup

KUEBER SCORES SHOOTOUT WINNER IN ST. ALBERT’S ESSO CUP OPENER

ST. ALBERT, Alta. – The hometown fans couldn’t hold back their excitement as they watched Melissa Kueber(St. Albert, Alta.) carry the puck down the ice and fire it over the Toronto Aeros (Ontario) goal line duringthe second shootout of the day Sunday, helping host team the St. Albert Slash to a 4-3 win for their firstgame of 2011 Esso Cup, Canada’s National Female Midget Championship.

St. Albert’s other three goals were all scored during the second period, and all generated equallyecstatic cheers from the stands, seemingly motivating the local Midget AAA girls team to test their limits onthe ice against their competition from Toronto.

Nevertheless, it was Toronto to kick off the scoring, with Kristi Riseley (Pickering, Ont.) putting theAeros on the scoresheet just six and a half minutes into the first. But the second was all about the Slash,as Sabrina Flemming (St. Alberta, Alta.) tied it up less than three minutes into the period, a powerplayhanded Matana Skoye (St. Albert, Alta.) the opportunity to put the Slash in the lead at 7:10 and Ashley Morin(Fort Saskatchewan, Alta.) widened the gap to 3-1 less than two minutes later.

Despite three quick St. Albert goals, the Aeros weren’t about to let up themselves and were able tocapitalize on a Slash penalty, thanks to a goal from Hayley Masters (Horseshoe Valley, Ont.), narrowing thegap to 3-2 going into intermission.

The fast-paced, back-and-forth action continued into the third, with Breanne Wilson-Bennett (Markham,Ont.) tying it up again, this time at three apiece, midway through the period to send the game into overtime.But both teams fought hard enough through the fourth period to sound off the buzzer on the sudden victory andend the game with a crowd pleasing shootout.

In the end though, the first night of the Esso Cup belonged to host team the St. Albert Slash, and thefans that came out to Servus Place to cheer them on in their success.

The Toronto Aeros take on the Edmonton Thunder (Pacific) on Monday afternoon, while the Slash face offagainst the Kings County Kings (Atlantic) in the evening game.

Penalties:
   01:56 HST 9 Sabrina Flemming (Bodychecking)
   08:11 HST 10 Brianna Rocque (Tripping)
   13:53 HST 16 Krystal Reithmayer (Hooking)
   14:16 ONT 7 Emma Greco (Hooking)
   14:33 HST 18 Lindsay Cox (Bodychecking)

Penalties:
   05:15 ONT 8 Jordan McDonell (Tripping)
   05:59 ONT 4 Breanne Grant (Cross Checking)
   07:30 ONT 11 Breanne Wilson-Bennett (Tripping)
   12:35 HST 5 Jessica Kampjes (Hooking)
   15:35 HST 15 Rebecca Wall (Cross Checking)
   17:41 HST 10 Brianna Rocque (Major - Check fr. Behind)
   17:41 HST 10 Brianna Rocque (Game Misconduct)
   18:11 HST 16 Krystal Reithmayer (Hooking)

Penalties:
   04:31 HST 17 Haley Kuzyk (Bodychecking)
   13:11 ONT 17 Hayley Masters (Bodychecking)

Goals:
   None

Penalties:
   04:24 HST 20 Angela Mason (Hooking)