2009 Esso Cup

By: Tessa Clayton

If the opening minutes were any indication of how the game would go, the Edmonton Thunder would have dominated the Calgary Flyers.

The key word is “if.” Despite having the Flyers on their heels to begin with, two quick goals in the opening five minutes by Flyers’ Ferran Brown and Brittany Styner set the Thunder back and looking rather disconnected.

LISTEN! LISTEN!

From that point on, Calgary set the pace for the remainder of the game. Edmonton took quite a few penalties throughout the game, but with a goal by Kristie Martin in the second, the Thunder began to show signs of life.

Even though that feistiness continued into the third, with Thunder Brittany Esposito scoring the only goal and tempers flaring it wasn’t be enough, as Calgary constantly found holes in Edmonton’s defense and took it to them. Leading the opposition once again for Calgary were Styner, Brown and Sadie Lenstra, averaging seven points between the three of them alone.

Thunder goalie Morgan Glover did her best to hold down the fort, but it wasn’t enough to best the opposition at the other end of the ice. Flyers’ Bailey Toupin was superb once again, stopping all but two shots that came her way and shut the door on shorthanded attempts and breakaways.

Both teams played an extremely physical game, giving and taking some close calls. Calgary plays the Westman Wildcats tomorrow night, while Edmonton has a break until Thursday afternoon when they face the Northern Stars.