2009 Esso Cup

SHARKS SURPRISE WILDCATS TO WRAP UP ROUND ROBIN

by Derek Kelly Neumeier

The 2009 Esso Cup round robin wrapped up in exciting fashion Thursday evening, as the Scarborough Sharks edged the Westman Wildcats in a high-spirited 3-1 affair.

The game began slowly, as neither team was able to generate quality scoring chances early on. It wasn’t until 1:58 into the second period when the first goal was scored, when Sharks forward Nina Mammoliti fought through traffic and shovelled home a rebound past Wildcat goaltender Tara Lacquette.

Scarborough extended their lead ten minutes later on a similar play, as Sharks forward Annie Shapero fired a hard shot from the left circle. Lacquette made the save, but left a juicy rebound for Kaitlyn Keon, granddaughter of NHL Hall of Famer Dave Keon, who buried the rebound to give her team a 2-0 lead.

Westman, still down 2-0 with just over a minute left in the game, appeared to be done, but brought themselves back in it thanks to a great play by Brittany Phillips, the leading scorer for her team. Phillips, waiting at the Sharks blueline, took a long stretch pass from her own defensive zone, went in on a breakaway and slid a slick backhand past netminder Marissa Kozovski with only 58 seconds left.

The Wildcats pulled their goalie in an attempt to tie the game in the dying seconds, but their hopes were dashed when the Sharks scored an empty netter with only two seconds left, sealing the score at 3-1.

The game was a highly intense, undisciplined affair, as an incredible twenty-three minor penalties were called, with Westman being on the receiving end of fourteen of them. Surprisingly, no power play goals were scored, despite the many chances.

After losing their first two games of the tournament the Ontario-champion Sharks have officially turned things around with back-to-back wins, giving them a boost of momentum going into Friday’s semifinal match against the undefeated host Calgary Flyers.

The Wildcats are in the opposite position, losing two in a row after starting the tournament with a pair of wins. They will be looking to regain their composure versus the Edmonton Thunder in Friday’s other final four match-up. The winners of both matches will advance to the gold medal game on Saturday.