Esso Cup Media Recap – April 28

The Stoney Creek Sabres and Fraser Valley Rush advanced to the gold medal game on Day 6 of the Esso Cup.

Stoney Creek Sabres 3, Northern Selects 0

• Aubrey Morrison (Grimsby, Ont.) scored the eventual game-winner midway through the second period, sending Stoney Creek to the gold medal game.
• Peyton Anzivino (Hamilton, Ont.) and Madison Burr (Paris, Ont.) contributed a goal and an assist each.
• Tara Bach (Oakville, Ont.) turned in a 21-save shutout.

Fraser Valley Rush 1, Regina Rebels 0

• Vienna Rubin (West Vancouver, B.C.) scored the lone goal for the Rush with nine seconds remaining in the second period.
• Solana Cooper (North Vancouver, B.C.) and Gillian Lapierre (Port Coquitlam, B.C.) chipped in with one assist apiece.
• Fraser Valley goaltender Rebecca Noble (North Delta, B.C.) recorded a 34-save shutout.

2023 Esso Cup Award Recipients:

• Esso Scholarship ($1000): Jasmine Kohl (Moose Jaw, Sask.), Prince Albert Bears
• Most Sportsmanlike Player: Kendall Doiron (Antigonish, N.S.), Northern Selects
• Top Goaltender: Béatrice Plouffe (Repentigny, Que.), Étoiles de Laurentides-Lanaudière
• Top Defenceman: Aynsley D’Ottavio (Rosedale, B.C.), Fraser Valley Rush
• Top Forward: Greta Henderson (Saskatoon, Sask.), Regina Rebels
• Most Valuable Player: Madison Burr (Paris, Ont.), Stoney Creek Sabres

Next Games (Saturday, April 29):

Bronze medal game: Northern Selects vs. Regina Rebels – 12 p.m. MT/2 p.m. ET

Gold medal game: Fraser Valley Rush vs. Stoney Creek Sabres – 4 p.m. MT/6 p.m. ET

TSN and RDS, the official broadcast partners of Hockey Canada, will broadcast the gold medal game on April 28 at 4 p.m. MT/6 p.m. ET, while the bronze medal game can be live-streamed at HockeyCanada.ca. To download game highlights from the 2023 Esso Cup, please CLICK HERE.

Quotes:

“It is a little surreal [to win MVP and play in the gold medal game]. It is unbelievable because at the beginning of the year I did not expect any of this to happen, but the whole year and this experience has been unreal.

“We all tried to keep our cool throughout the game, and I think we did that pretty well. We wanted to play our game because we knew [the Northern Selects] are a tough team to play against. We stuck to our game plan, played a strong game and stayed focused all game long. “

-      Burr on winning MVP, playing for gold and the challenge of playing the Selects

“You can not have a game as good as tonight’s without both teams doing everything they can to be successful. I thought tonight’s game was a great testament for female hockey. It was physical but fair, and [Regina] was unbelievable and never let up. That could have been anyone’s game, and I am so proud to have been a part of it. Now we have Stoney Creek up next, and what a great team they are. They are the only undefeated team here, and they won the Ontario region, which is really tough. We are hoping to give them a good game tomorrow.

“[Aynsley D’Ottavio] does so much for our team at both ends of the ice. She is a special player, and she also has to deal with the fact that every other team is trying to figure out how to shut her down. Any time she gets the puck on her stick, there are two or three players on her, but she finds a way to make plays.

-      Fraser Valley Rush head coach Tony Lindsay (Richmond, B.C.) on tonight’s game, playing Stoney Creek in the gold medal game and the play of D’Ottavio

For more information on Hockey Canada and the 2023 Esso Cup, please visit HockeyCanada.ca, or follow along through social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and by using #EssoCup.