Courtenay Whalers Women's Hockey

Breakers 4 – Whalers 1
Courtenay, B.C.

Friday night saw another Clash of the Titans as the Whalers battled their arch-enemies, the Breakers.  Traditionally, the oft-penalized Breakers have dominated the Whalers on the scoresheet but not on the ice!  With their big guns players, the Breakers intimidate opponents with a mix of false bravado, stick-work and rough stuff after the whistle.  While the Whalers were nervous before the game, they exhibited their normal devil-may-care attittude, an outlook that would prove valuable during the competition.

The Breakers had their usual cast of characters on the ice with one exception; collegiate goalie Tia Wishart played goal and did an excellent job, bolstering an already strong roster.  The Whalers played an excellent first period, holding much of the play.  The game was very clean, with only one penalty in the first period.  With the Breakers scoring in the middle of the period, the Whalers wanted to strike before the break.  Lacey Mortenson did her best Bobby Orr imitation with a full length rush of the ice, culminating in a shot and a rebound which striker Jody Fink tapped in for a last minute goal.

The Breakers struck twice in the second to take a 3-1 lead into the third.  The lowlight of the period featured a Breaker firing the puck at one of the refs, unhappy with a call that was missed.  For most of the period, the action was good, with plenty of back and forth action.  There was only one goal in the third, with the Breakers potting one more.

Whalers goalie, Jamie Banham, was stellar, turning aside shot after shot, including a few cannons from the point.  Captain K-O was looking to continue her devasting open ice hitting but practiced restraint, settling for some nice passing and fast skating instead, and, along with Bert Churchill, shutting down the Breaker’s top line.  Other players with strong performances included Sky Z, Kelly Roloff (who is no longer rolling off) and The Desk.  Shirlee Carver brought her special brand of enforcement to the ice amid cries of “I’m on your team”.

Special thanks to expert scorekeeper, Sky N – everyone was happy to see her back at the rink!  Stay tuned for more updates!