2012 Esso Cup

CAPITAL DISTRICT CAPS OFF ESSO CUP ON HIGH NOTE IN FRONT OF HOMETOWN CROWD

by Geordie Carragher

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - Having both been eliminated from medal contention at the 2012 Esso Cup, the host Capital District Cyclones and the Rebelles de Saguenay-Lac St-Jean (Quebec) could have played like there wasn’t anything on the line anymore

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Instead they played like they had nothing to lose Thursday night, with both teams showing an abundance of heart on the ice at the CARI Complex, and the Cyclones capping off an exciting game with a 3-2 win for an arena full of hometown fans.

Jocelyn Dougan (Tracadie Cross, P.E.I.) and Emma Weatherbie (Sherwood, P.E.I.) had two points apiece, while Emma MacKinnon (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) made 12 saves to help Capital District end their Esso Cup run on a winning note, by defeating Saguenay 3-2 on the fifth and final day of preliminary action.

The game opened with chances at both ends of the ice, but the Cyclones struck first on a power-play, with captain Maggie Grimmer (Sherwood, P.E.I.) walking out from the corner to put a shot past Annie-Pier Harvey (St-Eugène-d’Argentay, Que.) and give Capital District its first lead of the tournament.

Saguenay replied a few minutes later on a power-play of their own, with Marie-Pier Lemieux (Chicoutimi, Que.) picking up the rebound off a Stéphanie Lalancette (St-Félicien, Que.) shot and firing it past MacKinnon to tie the game up after 20 minutes.

Capital District reclaimed the lead early in the second, digging away at the puck in front of the Saguenay net until Weatherbie banging it in to give the host team a 2-1 lead. With Saguenay in a bit of penalty trouble, and Capital District enjoying a 5-on-3, power-play, Kristen Murray (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) added another to the scoreboard to make it 3-1 after 40 minutes

MacKinnon took over from there, making a number of key saves to keep the Cyclones on top. Dubois scored a late power-play goal for Saguenay to narrow the gap to 3-2, but it was too little, too late for the Rebelles, who couldn’t tie it up before the final buzzer sounded.

Both Capital District and Saguenay are eliminated from medal contention, but Esso Cup action continues tomorrow with semi-finals. The Pembina Valley Hawks (West) play the Edmonton Thunder (Pacific) at 2 p.m. AT, while the undefeated Thunder Bay Queens (Ontario) will take on Halifax Metro Boston Pizza (Atlantic) at 6 p.m. AT.

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Penalties:
   15:19 QUE 24 Claudia Dubois (Roughing)
   17:30 HST 15 Gemma MacDonald (Roughing)

Penalties:
   04:46 QUE 22 Sophie Gagnon (Bodychecking)
   06:05 HST 11 Maggie Grimmer (Slashing)
   09:10 HST 10 Cassidy McCabe (Tripping)
   11:53 HST 5 Kristen Murray  (Roughing After Whistle)
   14:24 QUE 23 Noémie Tremblay (Slashing)
   17:24 QUE 23 Noémie Tremblay (Checking to the Head)
   17:55 QUE 17 Stéphanie Lalancette (Hooking)
   19:28 QUE 26 Andrée-Anne Dufour (Roughing After Whistle)

Penalties:
   06:15 HST 8 Sydney Stavert (Slashing)
   12:09 QUE 22 Sophie Gagnon (Bodychecking)
   15:31 HST 6 Kaylee Watts (Tripping)
   19:19 HST 11 Maggie Grimmer (Bodychecking)