Road to the 2019 Esso Cup: Pacific Regional

Greater Vancouver and St. Albert meet for the third year in a row. Who wins their way to Sudbury?

Quinton Amundson

The Greater Vancouver Comets will be hoping the saying “the third time’s the charm” will ring true as they face off against the St. Albert Slash for the right to represent the Pacific at the Esso Cup. The Slash have won the regional battle against the Comets two years running on their road to back-to-back gold medals at Canada’s National Female Midget Championship.

St. Albert earned its third straight AFHL championship with a commanding 5-1 victory over the Calgary Fire in the gold medal game, while the Comets – who went 36-0 in B.C. this year – three-peated by sweeping the Fraser Valley Rush their best-of-three championship series.

Slash forward Madison Willan enters the regionals on a tear with four goals and 11 points in three games during AFHL provincials. Comets forward Jennifer Gardiner was just as dynamic during the BCFMAAA playoffs, posting four goals and 12 points in four games.

RECENT CHAMPIONS (ESSO CUP FINISH)
2018 – St. Albert Slash (gold medal)
2017 – St. Albert Slash (gold medal)
2016 – Rocky Mountain Raiders (bronze medal)
2015 – Edmonton Thunder (fifth place)
2014 (AB) – Edmonton Thunder (silver medal)
2014 (BC) – Fraser Valley Phantom (fifth place)

GREATER VANCOUVER COMETS
BCFMAAA CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 32-0-0 (1st in BCFMAAA)
Goals for: 195
Goals against: 38
Leading scorer: Jenn Gardiner (37G 43A 80P)

Playoff record: 4-0
Goals for: 21
Goals against: 6
Leading scorer: Jenn Gardiner (4G 8A 12P)

ROAD TO THE PACIFIC REGIONAL
Semifinal: defeated Thompson-Okanagan 2-0 (6-1, 4-0)
BCFMAAA championship: defeated Fraser Valley 2-0 (5-3, 6-2)

Last national championship appearance: none
Total national championship appearances: none

ST. ALBERT SLASH
AFHL CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 26-3-1 (1st in AFHL)
Goals for: 119
Goals against: 26
Leading scorer: Madison Willan (24G 27A 51P)

Playoff record: 5-1
Goals for: 17
Goals against: 9
Leading scorer: Madison Willan (4G 7A 11P)

ROAD TO THE PACIFIC REGIONAL
Preliminary round: 3-0 (first place) (defeated Red Deer 5-1, defeated Calgary 3-2, defeated Lloydminster 4-1)
AFHL championship game: defeated Calgary 5-1

Last national championship appearance: 2018 (gold medal)
Total national championship appearances: 3 (2011, 2017, 2018)