Bantam C girls hold on
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Tillsonburg Underhill’s Farm Supply bantam goalie Olivia Taylor didn’t see a lot of shots through two periods Tuesday night.
The Bantam C Lightning girls hockey team limited Belmont to just eight shots through the first 20 minutes of the OWHA playoff game. The Blazers gave up nearly the same number of shots through two periods.
Tillsonburg captain Brooklyn MacDonald, assisted by Sierra Haggith, beat Belmont goalie Solange Archambeault with 1:40 left in the second to give the Lightning a 1-0 lead.
The ice tilted in the 12-minute third period, however, as the Blazers fired 19 shots at Taylor, who stopped 18 of them. Dorchester’s Brittany Nicholson was credited with the game-tying goal at 8:04 on a pass from the corner that was redirected in the slot.
“A short bench,” said Underhill’s bantam coach Jerry DeBackere, noting the team seemed to be running out of gas.
He emphasized the importance of short shifts in the dressing room after the game.
While Tillsonburg did get a couple good shots – two – in the third period, the playoff game ended in a 1-1 deadlock.
Belmont and Tillsonburg are playing a home-and-home round-robin in a six-team OWHA C division, divided into two pools of three. The pool winners will play off for a berth at the provincial championship tournament. There is a chance both of the pool winners will advance, although they still play the division championship.
Tillsonburg’s Western Ontario Girls Hockey League playoffs continue Saturday with a home game against Lambton Shores (11:15 a.m.).
St. Thomas is in town Sunday, at 12:30 p.m., for an OWHA C playoff game.
SILVER STICK
The Bantam C Lightning traveled to Port Elgin/Saugeen Shores last weekend to play in an International Silver Stick Bantam C girls hockey tournament.
“We made it through the snow,” DeBackere smiled.
Some of the team made the trip up to the Kincardine area Thursday, but five of the players arrived Friday.
“The drive times were longer Friday, you could tell fatigue was a factor.”
Tillsonburg kicked off the tournament against Kincardine, who only had a 20-minute drive to Saugeen Shores. Kincardine won 3-1.
Against Blyth (Goderich area), Tillsonburg scored the first two goals, but Blyth took advantage of some Lightning penalties to win 4-2.
Tillsonsburg’s third and final game was tied 1-1 late, but the Lightning ran out of gas.
“Our third game was pretty even,” said DeBackere.