2012 Esso Cup

EDMONTON THUNDER STRIKE QUICKLY IN ROUND ROBIN VICTORY OVER HALIFAX 

by Geordie Carragher

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Going into Day 5 of the 2012 Esso Cup, the Edmonton Thunder (Pacific) knew they had to step up their game in order to advance to the medal round.

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And after Canada’s National Women’s Team alumna Bobbi-Jo Slusar dropped the ceremonial puck for the game, that’s exactly what they did Thursday on the CARI Complex ice, where the Edmonton Thunder truly looked like the 2011 Esso Cup silver medallists.

Mikaeli Cavell (Edmonton, Alta.) and Jessica Sekulic (Edmonton, Alta.) led the way with three points apiece, while Chloe Sanderson (Edmonton, Alta.) made 24 saves for the shutout as the Thunder blanked Halifax Metro Boston Pizza (Atlantic) 4-0 in the final round robin game for both teams. 

Edmonton came out flying in the first, scoring three times in a seven-minute stretch to put Halifax on their heels early. The first Thunder strike came at just over three minutes into the game, when Sekulic made a pass from behind the goal line to a streaking Cavell, who shot a one-timer cleanly past the Halifax goal line. 

Edmonton extended its lead just over four minutes later, when Amy Boucher (Edmonton, Alta.) scored her third goal in as many games, digging the puck out of a faceoff scrum, making a move into the slot and burying it into the top corner to make it 2-0. That’s when Halifax Metro head coach Wayne Normore called a timeout to settle his team down and get them back into the game.
 
But it didn’t stop the bleeding right away, as Cavell scored her second goal of the period less than three minutes later, following a broken 2-on-1 with Sekulic. Sekulic was hauled down in front of the net, but Cavell scooped up the puck and put it into the back of Metro Halifax’s net to make it 3-0. The early offence kept Sanderson calm in the Edmonton net, as she made several key saves, with her best coming when she robbed Breanna Lanceleve (Sackville, N.S.) on a point-blank opportunity in the last five minutes of the first frame. 

The second period was scoreless, although Halifax Metro started applying more pressure and killed off a four-minute penalty to give them more confidence moving forward in the game. The east coasters kept it up in the third, with chances created at both ends of the ice, but a late game power-play goal from Kelsie Lang (Edmonton, Alta.) sealed the 4-0 shutout win for the west coasters.

The win gives the Edmonton Thunder third place in the round robin standings, and also eliminates the Rebelles de Saguenay (Quebec) from playoff contention. Edmonton will play the loser of the game between the Thunder Bay Queens (Ontario) and the Pembina Valley Hawks (West) at 2 p.m. AT on Friday. Despite the loss, Halifax Metro Boston Pizza become the first-ever Atlantic representatives to advance to the Esso Cup semifinals, and as the fourth seed will play the winner of the Thunder Bay and Pembina Valley match-up Friday at 6 p.m. AT.

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Penalties:
   10:45 ATL 6 Taylor Donovan (Bodychecking)
   14:18 PAC 13 Amy Boucher (Tripping)
   19:56 PAC 14 Sydney Thomlison (Interference)

Penalties:
   07:30 PAC 9 Jessica Sekulic (Slashing)
   09:59 ATL 7 Rachel Carr (Checking to the Head)
   09:59 ATL 7 Rachel Carr (Checking to the Head)
   11:23 PAC 13 Amy Boucher (Slashing)
   17:08 PAC 7 Jessica Healey (Roughing)
   19:56 PAC 2 Laura Bennett (Roughing)
   19:56 ATL 5 Breanna Lanceleve (Roughing)

Penalties:
   07:30 PAC 2 Laura Bennett (Interference)
   13:40 PAC 14 Sydney Thomlison (Tripping)
   16:13 ATL 10 Maria Morley (Inter. on Goaltender)