The Northern Cougars overcame a slow start to defeat the Thompson-Okanagan Rockets 3-1 Friday to open the second round of the triple-A female midget hockey playoffs on home ice.
Friday's game at Kin 1 arena was the first of a best-of-three playoff series between the two squads as the Northern Cats take a 1-0 lead going into Game 2 today.
"We definitely showed some rust in the first period," said Northern Cougars head coach Mario Desjardins. "We haven't been in a game situation in quite a while. The second period was better and third was much faster. We definitely have to take the win though."
The Cats hadn't played a game since their regular season ended in early March. Based on their second-place finish in the season (16-6-8), they received a bye in the first-round of the playoffs.
The Rockets, who finished third in the regular season (14-12-4), defeated the Kootenay Wildcats in their first-round playoff series last weekend to take on the Cougars this weekend.
It took 14 minutes of the teams trading chances until a three-goal rush ensued in the final five minutes of the first period.
Cougars forward Tessa Hare opened the scoring at the 14:28 mark of the first when she took a pass from behind the net and slid the puck underneath Rockets netminder Rachel Fontinha.
Rockets scored a minute later on a goal from defenceman Jessie Lynn Offert.
The Cats took a 2-1 lead when forward Hunter Mosher skated down the right wing and beat Fontinha glove-side at the 16:32 mark.
The game remained scoreless in the second period, as the Cougars held the edge in shots on goal 19-11 after the first 40 minutes.
Five minutes into the third, defenceman Cassidy Bell fired the puck from the point that beat Fontinha and gave the Cougars a 3-1 lead.
The goal came after the Rockets killed off a two-minute penalty.
The Rockets had a two-minute power play of their own shortly after, but only registered one shot on goal. They even pulled Fontinha for the extra attacker with a minute left in the game but couldn't score their second goal.
Netminder Kelsey Roberts swept aside 15 of 16 shots for the Cougars, while the Cats fired 28 on Fontinha.
"Kelsey made some saves early on in the first which was good, and we got some big goals from players - Hunter and Cassidy - who've had a hard time scoring lately and that's nice to see," said Desjardins.
Game 2 today is a matinee tilt at 1 p.m. at Kin 1. Desjardins knows the Cougars can, and will be better.
"We'll see more of the team from the last 16 games [of the regular season]," he said. "They'll be more organized on their break-outs and coming out of their own zone. They'll be better."
