SARNIA, ONTARIO

 

2009 - 2010
SARNIA JR LADY STING
Bantam
A

 

 

 

 
 

GOALTENDERS FERGUSON/SULLIVAN LEAD LADY STING TO GOLD


submitted photo

 Front row l-r Kim McPhail Manager, Karley Ferguson, Erica Sullivan, Jennifer Zavitz, Kendra Marotta, Shauna McPhail, 2nd row- Sidney Weiss, Allison Lawrence, Jenna Rops, Nicki Parkes, Sydney Smith, Emily Williams, Chantal Caraher, 3rd row-Trainer Sandy Ferguson, Alice Huber, Riley Wilhelm, Kassie Roache, Darian Adams, Back row – Paul Caraher, Vicky Marotta, Eric Smith, Kerry Adams (Absent – Krystal Adair)

The Sarnia Lady Junior Sting Bantam A team competed in the Ontario Women’s Hockey League Provincial Championships this weekend and came home with a prestigious Gold Medal.

The girls opened with a round robin matchup with Niagara Falls. It was a close affair with Sarnia coming out on top 2-1. Goals were scored by Darian Adams and then Kassie Roache with the winner on a pass off the sideboards from Sidney Weiss. Karley Ferguson was in net for the victory with some exceptional saves in the dying seconds as Sarnia was outmanned 6-3 because of two late penalties, one of which led to a two game suspension to team captain Sydney Smith.

Game two showed the depth of the team’s defence  as Riley Wilhelm, Jenna Rops, Shauna McPhail, and Alice Huber had to play without their leader Smith and also Krystal Adair who was at the National Wrestling Championships in Vancouver. They had an exceptional game holding the opposition to no goals with numerous blocked shots and a 1-0 win: Shutout to Erica Sullivan - Loss to host Mississauga.

Game three saw Sarnia meet up with Stratford for the 12th time this season and our first loss of the tournament. However the previous two wins assured a spot in the Elite Eight. Next up – Ottawa Ice – a new foe.

With a trip to the Final Four on the line, Sarnia played a spirited affair and opened with a goal from Weiss with a shot to the top right corner after a great head-man pass from Smith.  Chantal Caraher opened her scoring for the tournament after a feed from Adams and Weiss. Emily Williams clinched the victory with an empty-netter and the 3-0 final score. Sullivan got her second shutout.

Next up was Sudbury. The ice was slowly deteriorating making play near impossible. Sting forwards forechecked the Wolves relentlessly led by Allison Lawrence, Jen Zavitz and Kendra Marotta. As the game wore on all players were showing fatigue. Skating to the faceoff circle was now a chore. Ferguson stood on her head in this one and went the distance – six periods! With 6:47 left in the third overtime, Rops fired one into the corner where Caraher scored after blocking an attempted Sudbury clearing pass and threw it between the wickets for a thrilling win. After the ensuing melee the team headed back as the Championship game was mere hours away.

The final hurdle for Gold was the Sault Ste. Marie Wildcats. Before the game the captain of Stratford came by the girls in warm-up wishing them good luck in the game.

The ice was almost unplayable by this point, disappointing the team and the OWHA executive in attendance. However ‘both teams had to play on it’. After listening to an opening salvo of “Hockey Night in Canada” on the sax at rinkside, the girls were pumped to go on.

The game was a rough affair with penalties being exchanged on a regular basis. The game featured some more spectacular goaltending from both teams and more intense forechecking from Sarnia this time from Nikki Parkes in particular. It was a 0-0 draw at the end of regulation. The 10th period of the day would be the last for the Lady Sting. After Caraher gets hauled down on a breakaway, she was awarded the greatest scoring opportunity in the form of a penalty shot in overtime. She was thwarted on the effort but would not be denied as minutes later, on a 5-on-3 powerplay she tipped in a shot from the point from McPhail on a pass from Smith. Erica Sullivan got her third shutout of the weekend allowing no goals and with her partner Ferguson posted 4 shutouts!

The girls had a gutsy effort and all of Sarnia should be proud of them in their Golden Effort!!


 


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