2016 Esso Cup

WEYBURN WRAPS UP ESSO CUP WITH SHOOTOUT WIN

WENDY GRAVES

WEYBURN, Sask. – Madison Solie (Sedley, Sask.) and Jenna Grube (Estevan, Sask.) scored in the shootout and the Weyburn Gold Wings said goodbye to their Esso Cup with a 3-2 win over the Rocky Mountain Raiders.

Shooting first, defenceman Solie did a quick stutter step before going top shelf glove side. Grube seemed to lose control of the puck as she drove straight to the net, but got enough to slide it in five-hole.

Ashten Sinclair (Limerick, Sask.) and Elise Endicott (Regina, Sask.) scored in regulation for the Gold Wings. Chantal Burke (Saskatoon, Sask.) made 28 saves for her second win.

Nicolette Seper (Cochrane, Alta.) and Breanne Trotter (Okotoks, Alta.) scored for the Raiders, with Megan Campbell (Cochrane, Alta.) picking up a pair of assists.

Erin Fargey (Chestermere, Alta.) faced 26 shots in net for the Raiders.

The 2016 Esso Cup preliminary round finale was very much a tale of two games. For the first 30 minutes, it lacked the intensity of the first two games of the day, both of which came with medal round qualification implications.

Rocky Mountain had locked up at least second place coming in; earning at least one point would make it the top seed entering the semifinals. Weyburn was knocked out of contention a day earlier, but a win of any kind would give it fifth place.

The intensity picked up midway through the game. The Raiders began going hard to the net more often, which led to a little extra pushing between the teams.

Minutes later Weyburn went on the offensive itself and scored the game’s first goal.

Picking up the puck from just outside her blue line, Sinclair skated up the boards, cut in toward the face-off circle and beat Fargey low far side.

Rocky Mountain tied the game 1:06 into the third; Seper sent a pass from the side boards out front to Trotter, who one-timed it past Burke.

The Raiders took the lead six minutes later, with Seper finishing off a pass from Campbell on the rush.

Endicott won the ensuing face-off, drove in and beat Fargey short side only seven seconds later.

The semifinals go on Friday. The Brantford Ice Cats play the Saskatoon Stars in the afternoon (3:30 p.m. MT), followed by the Raiders versus the Express du Richelieu in the evening. (7 p.m. MT).