CANORA - The U15 Parkland Prairie Ice girls hockey team, with players from Canora, Sturgis, Norquay, Kamsack, Cote First Nation, Springside, Theodore, Yorkton, Langenburg and Swan River, finished second in the Southeast Division of the Sask Female Hockey League during the regular season.
This earned them a first-round playoff matchup with the third-place Canalta Borderland Badgers, who finished only two points behind the Ice. The Badgers came out on top in a hard fought best-of-three series that required the full three games to declare a winner.
Game 1
Game 1 hit the ice on Feb. 25 in Rocanville, the home of the Badgers. The home team raced out to a 3-0 lead after 2 periods, and skated to a 4-1 victory. An unassisted goal by Rylee Coleman of Sturgis was the only offense for the Ice on this night.
“Our girls were nervous and we were missing a couple of players who tend to make an impact out on the ice, so the girls knew they had to step it up a bit,” said Ice Coach Nicole Korpusik. “We had a rough first period, however I was really proud of how the girls came out in the second and third periods. We outplayed them in both those periods but unfortunately we had dug ourselves a hole in the first that was hard to get out of. “
Korpusik said this game was a good lesson for the Ice players in learning how to manage uncertainty.
“Instead of falling victim to those fears, we need to control the controllable factors: our effort, our focus, our attitude and the work we put into being prepared for what may lie ahead. This leads me to the second lesson, which is understanding the role our thoughts and emotions play in our success story. We need to shift our nervous fear into powerful determination to overcome any adversity that comes our way.”
Game 2
Game 2 followed in Canora on Feb, 28 with the home team facing elimination, and it looked like the Ice players had learned from the experience in Game 1.
“The mood had shifted,” said Korpusik. “We had our missing players back which seemed to build the girls’ confidence. They were excited to play and it showed!”
A first period goal for the Ice seemed to give the girls a boost of energy and confidence. When Morgan Olson of Sturgis was hauled down on a second-period breakaway, she was awarded with a penalty shot and made no mistake, which was “an emotional rollercoaster” according to Korpusik.
“We don't see many of those so the girls weren't really prepared to have that kind of opportunity in front of a good-sized home crowd and during a pretty high-stakes game. Morgy was a bit nervous initially but she quickly pulled it together and made the most of it. The end result was electric for the team!”
When asked what was the biggest factor in helping the Ice come away with a 4-2 victory to tie the series, Korpusik said it boiled down to one word.
“Fun! When our girls relax and have fun while they are playing we see extraordinary things happen. They have more energy, more flow, make better decisions and try new things to create opportunities. It was awesome!”
Rowyn Johnson of Norquay was the top shooter for the Ice with a pair of goals. In addition to her penalty shot goal, Olson also chipped in with a pair of assists. The other goal scorer for the Ice was Lola Andres of Langenburg.
Game 3
The third and deciding game of the series followed on March 2, also in Canora. Korpusik said her team had a good game, but felt the players were a bit hesitant, resulting in a 1-0 loss and a series victory for Canalta.
“It seemed like our girls were afraid to make mistakes, afraid to lose. so they were playing defensively. We needed to pressure and be confident in our skills, we needed to find the fun. Unfortunately, I think we were fighting against fear and that is a hard battle to win.”
Korpusik said there are some valuable long-term lessons to be learned from losing the series to Canalta.
“If the girls can come away more prepared for next season and have some tools to navigate other adversities in their lives, then I think losing that series wasn't really a loss at all. Actually, there is another lesson from this series that came after Game 3. There is nothing greater in life than having a team you love, where you feel like you belong, where you feel supported, a team that you have grown with and shared so many fun moments.”
After finishing sixth in the regular season last year and jumping up to second this season, “The improvement is remarkable!” said Korpusik.
Among the many highlights during the season was “gifting Rouleau with their one and only loss in the regular season. Our girls believed they could do it and they did!”
The Ice will end their season with a tournament in Saskatoon on March 21-23.
“We want to thank our communities for supporting us throughout this season,” concluded Korpusik. “We look forward to seeing you all again in the fall!”
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