The Northern Capitals female midget triple-A hockey team began its tournament season over the weekend in Calgary and came out of the four-day Firestarter event with an 0-2-2 record.
The Northern Capitals finished third in their pool and finished Saturday with a 2-2 tie with the Red Deer Chefs. Brette Kerley and Ocean Anderson were the Caps' goalscorers. Tessa Sturgeon went the distance in goal.
The Caps started Thursday with a 5-3 loss to the Calgary Fire. Kerley, Anderson and Nancy Moore all found the net. Cadence Petticlerc-Crosby made 15 saves and took the loss in goal while her team outshot the Fire 25-20.
On Friday they tied the Notre Dame Hounds of Saskatchewan 1-1. Kerley knotted the score 11:59 into the third period. Sturgeon blocked 21 pucks as her team outshot the Hounds 34-22.
The Capitals completed the round-robin Saturday morning with a 3-1 loss to the Prince Albert Northern Bears. Brooklyn Hutchings was their lone goalscorer. Petticlerc-Crosby made 20 saves as her team held a 37-23 edge in shots.
"We outshot the teams there, we had some good production from our forward lines, we just have to learn how to bury the puck," said Capitals assistant coach Grace Barlow.
The Prince George-based Northern Capitals, under head coach Mario Desjardins and his assistants, Barlow and Lauren Smaha-Muir, will now have three weeks to prepare for their season-opening games in the B.C. Female Midget Hockey League at the league showcase in Surrey, Oct. 4-6.
The Capitals' first home game is set for Friday, Oct. 18 when they begin a three-game series against the Greater Vancouver Comets.
