2015 Esso Cup

TOTAL TEAM EFFORT LIFTS THUNDER PAST ROCKETS

WENDY GRAVES

RED DEER, Alta. – Four goals from four different players highlighted the total team effort the Edmonton Thunder showed Wednesday afternoon in defeating the Moncton Rockets 4-1.

Raylene Emerson (Edmonton, Alta.), Alison Barnett (Edmonton, Alta.), Alexandra Poznikoff (Edmonton, Alta.) and Kimberley Huisman (Edmonton, Alta.) had the goals as the Thunder picked up its second win of the week. Poznikoff also had an assist, as did Kennedi Scharpegge (Edmonton, Alta.), Cayle Dillon (Edmonton, Alta.) and Kennedy Becks (Edmonton, Alta.).

Tracie Kikuchi (Edmonton, Alta.) made 16 saves for the win.

The Thunder threw 57 shots on the Moncton net. Only the heroic efforts of goalie Brianne Waterman (Memramcook, N.B.) kept it to a three-goal defeat.

Faith Steeves’ (Havelock, N.B.) power play goal was the lone marker for Moncton. Morgan Porter (Moncton, N.B.) and Brooke Murphy (Balla Philip, N.B.) picked up the assists.

The loss dropped the Rockets to 0-4-0-0 and eliminated the Atlantic Region champions from playoff contention.

Moncton opened the scoring 13:36 in on the power play. Steeves maneuvered through two defenders, creating space for herself in the low slot to flip a backhand into the upper corner of the net. That goal gave the Rockets their first lead of the event.

Edmonton equalized three minutes later when the Rockets couldn’t clear the puck from their zone. Emerson knocked down Scharpegge’s centering pass and finished with a forehand.

The Thunder took the lead six minutes into the second. Poznikoff partly whiffed on Dillon’s pass at the top of the face-off circle, but got enough to move it ahead to Barnett to send it low short side.

With Moncton having scored only one goal in each of its first three games, it had an uphill battle in front of it. The team didn’t help its cause by taking 10 minor penalties. Edmonton failed to score on any of the man-advantages – including two five-on-three opportunities – but playing so often a player down didn’t allow Moncton to build an attack.

Edmonton took a two-goal lead into the second intermission when Poznikoff scored with less than a minute to go in the middle period. The Thunder captain skated from her own zone, moved around her defender to cut inside and beat Waterman with a backhand high glove side.

The Thunder put the game out of reach in the third when Huisman deflected Becks’ shot for her second goal in as many games.

Edmonton plays its final preliminary round game Thursday afternoon (12 p.m. MT) against the Sudbury Lady Wolves. Moncton follows with theirs, against the Saskatoon Stars (3:30 p.m. MT).