2011 Esso Cup

LAC ST-LOUIS BATTLES HARD BUT STILL FALLS TO EDMONTON

ST. ALBERT, Alta. – 2010 Esso Cup bronze medallists The Edmonton Thunder were put to the test Wednesdaybyfirst-time national championship participants the Kodiaks du Lac St-Louis, who put up a fight throughallthree periods, including a late game comeback attempt, but in the end the Quebec reps couldn’t overcomethehighly skilled squad from the Pacific region.

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But Lac St-Louis blueliner Karine Pellerin-Therien certainly caught the opposition off guard when, atthe7:25 minute mark of the third, she put the puck past netminder Morgan Glover (Edmonton, Alta.), whodespiteletting in that single goal had a stellar game between the posts. Glove stopped 29 shots courtesy of afeistyand resilient Kodiaks squad.

The Thunder started rolling early in the late afternoon game matchup, however, with CassidyDelainey(Edmonton, Alta.) digging for the puck and slipping it over the Lac St-Louis goal line at 14:06 inthe firstto give her team a 1-0 lead by the end of the opening frame.  The Kodiaks continued to battlehardthrough the second, managing to hold off the Thunder through the full 20 minutes of play and sendingEdmontoninto a bit of a panic on the ice.

But a penalty early in the third cost Lac St-Louis another goal, with Mikaeli Cavell (Edmonton, Alta.)ableto make it 2-0 three minutes into the period. The unusually narrow gap on the scoreboard continued tosend astrong Edmonton squad scrambling, and the Kodiaks capitalized by putting an offensive push onuntilPellerin-Therien finally pocketed her goal. But despite displaying strength and character on the ice,theKodiaks du Lac St-Louis couldn’t get another one past the Edmonton Thunder, who left the ice with a 2-1winand a perfect 4-0 record on Day 4 of the 2011 Esso Cup.

The last day of the preliminary round sees  Edmonton facing the Kings County Kings (Atlantic) at9a.m. MT on Thursday, while Lac St-Louis plays against host team the St. Albert Slash in the feature game at4p.m. MT.

Penalties:
   19:53 PAC 8 Samantha Schulz (Tripping)

Penalties:
   04:26 PAC 8 Samantha Schulz (Tripping)
   12:10 PAC 10 Caitlin Connell (Elbowing)
   13:14 QUE 28 Chelsea Zaidie (Tripping)
   13:55 PAC 2 Laura Bennett (Bodychecking)
   17:38 PAC 7 Stephanie Zvonkovic (Holding)

Penalties:
   00:06 PAC 4 Heather Kashman (Tripping)
   01:17 QUE 17 Vickie Lemire (Bodychecking)
   03:31 PAC 17 Rachel Johnson (Bodychecking)
   11:46 QUE   (Delay of Game)
   11:46 QUE 23 Lily Sargeant (High Sticking)