They didn't get a win, but the Northland Dodge Female Northern Cougars were able to blemish the formerly perfect record of the Fraser Valley Phantoms this weekend.
The three-time defending B.C. Major Midget Female AAA Hockey League champion Phantoms arrived in Prince George for a three-game series with the Cougars having won all seven of its league games this season and having scored a league-high 35 goals. The Phantoms return to the Fraser Valley with just one win and two ties after three intense games where the Cougars held the Phantoms top two scorers, Mackenzie Wong and Chelsea Wilson, to three points combined.
Cougars captain Ava Keis couldn't hide her joy after the third game Sunday at Kin 2, which ended in a 1-1 draw. In order to preserve the tie the Cougars needed to kill off a two-minute minor with two minutes and 13 seconds remaining in the game when Wong was tripped up as she was cutting to the net with a good opportunity to give the visitors the advantage. The Cougars killed off the minor with a couple of good saves from goalie Kelsey Roberts, and then had a good chance to win the game themselves in the dying seconds.
The Phantoms scored first when Brianna Keats hit Wong with a pass as she stepped out of the penalty box, giving the BCMMFHL's leading scorer a breakaway which gave them a 1-0 lead midway through the second period. The Cougars struck back less than five minutes later on a goal from Tessa Hare to even the game at 1-1.
Both teams had good chances to notch the winner in the final period in a fast paced, physical game of end-to-end action.
"Our bus driver [Tommy] is a hockey player and he said he was pretty shocked [with the calibre of play]," said Phantoms assistant coach Sandra Grant. "He didn't expect it do be that fast paced and have that much skill."
Grant said the this weekend has been the Phantoms most competitive and consistent hockey of the young season thus far.
"They're a tough team to play against," said Grant. "I don't know how many players they've lost or gained, but they're definitely a different team from last year."
The Cougars have 10 rookies this season, including both their goalies. Fraser Valley has nine returning players from last season and has five players on the under-18 provincial team.
Saturday the teams tied 1-1 and the Phantoms scored a 2-0 victory in Friday's opening game. Both Wong and Wilson scored in the Phantoms' win, but the Cougars were able to shut down both players in the second game. Wong has 10 goals in 10 games this season for 13 points, while Wilson has five goals (nine points).
"We're definitely not disappointed that we came out with a win and two ties," said Grant about the Phantoms 8-0-2 record. "We were just telling the girls they improved throughout the weekend and so did the Prince George team."
Keis - the younger sister of former Prince George Spruce King Ryan Keis - recorded her second goal of the season when she converted a late power-play opportunity to tie the game at 1-1 with less than four minutes remaining in the game. The teams had played more than 50 minutes of scoreless hockey before the Phantoms took the lead.
"It just shows how we've got such a great team this year," said the 16-year-old from Quesnel. "We'll be able to battle with every other team and we'll be able to keep up with their play, but we definitely have some room for improvement."
The Cougars (3-2-4) will have a chance to work on different aspects of their game, like improving the power play and breakout ability, when they travel to Kelowna this weekend to play four exhibition games against the Pursuit of Excellence team.
