Sporting a 10-1 record heading into their first-place showdown with the East Central Fillies on Saturday afternoon at the Bert Hunt Arena, the Mavericks have emerged as a contender for the league and provincial titles despite carrying one of the youngest line-ups in the league.
That’s what made their 4-0 defeat at the hands of the Fillies – who improved to 10-0-2 and took over first place with the win – that much tougher to take. But it also left the Mavericks hungry for more, and ideally another showdown in the future.
“We didn’t have a lot of sustained pressure in their end, but we had our moments and chances to score but just couldn’t find the back of the net,” said Mavericks head coach Mike Botterill. “They are a skilled team, they’re an older team and experienced team and they were the better team on the ice tonight.
“But I think we have a lot more in the tank and we have a better game than we put on the ice tonight. And like I told these girls, we’re going to have a rematch against them in the league final or provincial final and I can’t wait to play them again. They haven’t seen the best of the Mavericks.”
League scoring leader Lauren Hinz – who has averaged three points a game through the first two months of the campaign – scored once and added a pair of assists as East Central took a 2-0 lead out of the first and led 3-0 through two. Jacelyn Kelly and Kassadi Klapak scored their other goals.
Moose Jaw’s Sidney Ellingson races a pair of East Central defenders for the puck.Sydnee Christmann was in net for the Mavericks and turned aside 25 shots, Moose Jaw had 26 on the Fillies’ Jensen Kelly.
The Mavericks now have four games remaining in their campaign, all in January. That includes a two-game set on the road in Lafleche and Gull Lake on the Jan. 10 weekend before closing out the regular season on Thursday, Jan. 23 at home against Wood River (Bert Hunt, 7 p.m.) and Friday, Jan. 24 against the Southwest Cyclones (Red Knight Arena, 7 p.m.).
“It’s been a great season, we have a really great group of girls, they work hard all the time and they’re learning,” Botterill said. “That’s the big thing, they’re getting better, they’re coachable… they’re smart hockey players and it makes it pleasure to come to the rink every day.”
