2017 Esso Cup

GENDREAU RECORDS HAT TRICK TO SEND HARFANGS PAST WILDCATS

LEE BOYADJIAN

MORDEN, Man. – Chloé Gendreau scored two shorthanded goals as part of a hat trick to help the Harfangs du Triolet to a 4-1 victory over the Mid-Isle Wildcats in their second game of the 2017 Esso Cup on Monday.

Action started early in the first period, with the Harfangs banging away at a loose puck in the Wildcats crease. Sandrine Veillette forced the puck loose for Jade Pomerleau-Daigle, who had an easy tap-in past sprawled-out Mid-Isle goaltender Danielle Gallant. But the lead would not be long-lived.

Just 22 seconds later, Taylor Gillis went rushing into the Triolet zone. Keeping control the whole way, Gillis roofed it high glove-side over Harfangs netminder Michelle Thibault to tie the game 1-1.

Near the mid-way mark of the second period, with Harfangs on the penalty kill, Gendreau forced a turnover at the offensive blue-line, walked in and wristed it over Gallant’s shoulder to put Triolet ahead 2-1, a lead they carried into the third.

The Harfangs had a chance to extend their lead early in the final frame, when Megan Bureau-Gagnon found herself in a race with Gallant. But the Wildcats goalie took two strides and made a dive for the loose puck, just beating out Bureau-Gagnon and keeping the score within reach for the Atlantic champions.

With the pressure mounting from Mid-Isle, including two point-blank chances, Gendreau added some much-needed insurance for Triolet. Dancing through the neutral zone and into the Wildcats' end, the forward ripped a shot off the crossbar behind Gallant for a 3-1 lead.

Gendreau added an empty-net goal with less than 40 seconds to go to complete the natural hat trick and a win for the Harfangs, their second in as many days.

Coming up Tuesday, the Harfangs meet the St. Albert Slash at 3:30 p.m. CT, while the Wildcats will face the Prince Albert Bears at 12 p.m. CT.