CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – Mid Isle achieved its goal to earn its way to the bantam AAA female hockey Atlantics Friday night in Charlottetown.
The Wildcats tallied a 3-1 victory over the Central Storm in the deciding Game 5 at MacLauchlan Arena.
The Wildcats won the gruelling best-of-five provincial final 3-2. Three of the five games were one-goal affairs and only Game 4, won by Central 4-1, sported more than a two-goal margin.
Regardless of the series outcome, both teams were pencilled in for the Atlantics, April 5-8 in Charlottetown, as the Storm is this year’s host and Mid Isle being the P.E.I. rep.
But Wildcats captain Carly Thompson, who collected the game-tying, winning and insurance goals, said the squad had another plan.
“We just wanted to (prove) we were the No. 1 team on P.E.I. and earn our spot,” Thompson said. “I’m pretty excited. The team played really well.”
It didn’t look that way 54 seconds into the first period when Central’s Livi Lawlor potted the game’s first goal past Mid Isle goalie Emma Arsenault. Harley Bradley pocketed the assist.
That could’ve thrown many teams, but the Wildcats regrouped and got a power-play goal from Thompson about three minutes later to make it 1-1.
After the break, Mid Isle returned Central’s early favour as Thompson netted her second goal 13 seconds into the middle frame on a rebound to make it 2-1.
Her third, and second power-play marker, came almost four minutes into the third, but Thompson said it was the bounce-back from that first goal that changed the flow of the game.
“We just told the girls to not get down, keep your heads up, get up and get going, get some shots on net and we’ll be OK.”
While there was jubilation on one side of the rink, the other half was dejected despite pushing the Wildcats to the deciding game.
Central captain Chloe Hawes lingered on the ice after the awards presentation and after her team had left MacLauchlan A ice for the dressing room.
Fighting back tears, Hawes said most likely the turning point came in the second frame.
Shaelynn McCardle had two assists for Mid Isle while Bri Hughes, Elly Soloman, Lydia Hamill and Emma MacKinnon had the other helpers.
The Wildcats open the Atlantics versus New Brunswick on Thursday, April 5, at 2 p.m., while Central’s first game comes against N.B. at 7 p.m.
