They don't get paid double-time for their efforts but the Northland Dodge Northern Cougars are always game for a little overtime.
They haven't had much choice lately, it just comes with the territory for the B.C. Female Midget Triple-A Hockey League champions.
Two weeks after winning an epic league final over the Fraser Valley Phantom, which featured double and triple overtime in the first two games, the Cougars needed another triple-overtime session Friday to decide the opener of a best-of-three Pacific regional championship against the Edmonton Thunder.
Raylene Emerson scored the winner, 2:45 into third overtime period to lift the Thunder to a 3-2 victory in Edmonton. That came after a 10-minute first overtime period and 20-minute second OT failed to produce a goal.
Game 2 is set for tonight in Edmonton at 5:30 p.m. PDT. If Game 3 is needed it would be played Sunday at 5:30 p.m. PDT, also in Edmonton.
The Cougars built an early 2-0 lead in the first period. Caily Mellott, a bantam-aged call-up, opened the scoring 2:36 into the game on a setup from her sister Cassidy. Veteran Cougar forward Jocelyn Forrest added to the Cougars' lead at the 11:14 mark.
The Thunder made it a 2-1 game on a second-period goal from Alexandra Poznikoff. Poznikoff led the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League in scoring this season with 24 goals and 42 points in 32 games. Kennedy Becks tied it for Edmonton 9:25 into the third period.
The Cougars won their first B.C. Female Triple-A Midget Hockey League championship two weekends ago, defeating the Fraser Valley Phantom 2-1 in the third and deciding game after the teams split wins in overtime in the first two games of the best-of-three series at Kin 1.
The Cougars were the league's regular season champions, finishing with a 25-3-2 record.
The Cougars and Thunder played each other twice in an exhibition tournament in Langley in early February. They teams played to a 3-3 tie in the first game and the Thunder topped the Cougars 5-3 in the tournament semifinal.
The Thunder finished third in the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League regular season standings with a 17-9-3-3- record. The Thunder beat the Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs 3-1 in the Alberta league playoff final to advance to the Pacific region championship.
The series winner advances to the 2015 Esso Cup national female midget championship in Red Deer, April 19-25. The Pacific champion will take on the Central Plains Capitals of Manitoba in their first Esso Cup game, Sunday, April 19.
As host team of the Esso Cup, Red Deer automatically qualifies for the six-team tournament.
