2015 Esso Cup

MURRAY MAKES 32 SAVES, LEADS RED DEER TO WIN IN BATTLE OF ALBERTA

WENDY GRAVES

RED DEER, Alta. – One month ago the Red Deer Chiefs and the Edmonton Thunder met in the championship game of the Alberta Major Midget Female Hockey League provincial tournament.

On that day, on neutral ice, the Thunder prevailed.

Tonight, in the rematch, the Chiefs rode home-ice adventure to a 2-0 win and bragging rights in the Battle of Alberta at the 2015 Esso Cup.

Jordyn Burgar (Sylvan Lake, Alta.) and Abagael Thiessen (Red Deer, Alta.) provided all the offence Sarah Murray (Calgary, Alta.) needed, the Red Deer netminder stopping all 32 shots sent her way for the shutout.

Tracie Kikuchi (Edmonton, Alta.) made 13 saves for the Thunder.

Upon puck drop the two sides seemed to have an initial feeling-out phrase; surprising considering the two teams met five times already this season on the Road to the Esso Cup. The Chiefs won the first four meetings; the Thunder the most recent.

Thanks to three straight penalties called against the Chiefs the Thunder was able to control play through most of the opening 20 minutes but was unable to capitalize on its advantage.

Momentum took an unexpected turn late in the period after an icing call gave the Chiefs an offensive zone face-off. Kikuchi stopped the point shot but with multiple Chiefs jamming away at the crease it was Burgar poking the puck in on the fourth try. After creating few scoring chances to that point, the Chiefs doubled their shot total on one sequence to go up 1-0 with only 20 seconds left in the period.

It was a role reversal from the night before for the Thunder, who had been outshot – and for long stretches outplayed – by Central Plains but rode Kikuchi to an eventual 1-0 shootout win.

Red Deer got its first power play just past the two-minute mark of the second, and took no time making the most of it. Only 20 seconds after Kathryn Giorgi (Edmonton, Alta.) went to the box for hooking, Thiessen’s point shot found its way through traffic and into the back of the net.

Edmonton continued to press throughout the third but couldn’t solve Murray, who was solid when called upon and given lots of space to see the puck by her teammates.

With the win the Chiefs moved to 2-0 and will face the Sudbury Lady Wolves Tuesday night (7 p.m. MT) in a matchup of the only two unbeaten teams left. The Thunder faces the Saskatoon Stars in the afternoon (3:30 p.m. MT).