It wasn’t supposed to end this way.
With eight girls playing their final home tournament with the Banff Hockey Academy, the squad appeared poised to win its first Midget AAA banner in a year.
However, the Banff Hockey Academy Midget squad lost a 1-0 decision in double overtime to the Calgary Rocky Mountain Outlaws on May 13.
Makayla Campbell was a standout in goal for Banff, stopping 38 shots in the losing effort.
“This is a heartbreaker. It’s hard for the girls not returning. We played so hard,” said Brittany Erickson.
The Outlaws win proved controversial. Thirty seconds into double overtime, Banff’s Zosia Davis broke in alone, but was stymied by the Calgary goaltender. While leaving the zone, she collided with an Outlaws forward, who got the worst of the collision.
Davis was assessed a four-minute hit to the head penalty that left her team shorthanded for almost the entire double overtime period. The coaching staff questioned the call, but to no avail, and the Outlaws scored 3:40 into the powerplay.
For four periods of hockey, the two sides battled to a draw. Banff, with its larger bench and greater team depth, grew stronger as the game went on.
Banff’s best chance came on the crucial overtime penalty kill. Playing in her last home tournament, captain Jana Fialova had the game on her stick in overtime. Down a player, Fialova decided to skate with the puck to kill penalty time. Sweeping through the neutral zone, she accelerated towards the net, eluding three Calgary defenders with deft puck handling skills. She found herself in front of the Outlaw net, but missed the shot.
A minute later, the Outlaws won the game on a blast from the point with 1:21 left in the extra frame.
“The girls shouldn’t have regrets. They played great and poured their hearts out on the ice,” said head coach Kendell Newell.
Facing off against a smaller team, Newell kept the shifts short and used her entire bench. That allowed the Bears to pour it on in overtime after weathering a strong second period attack.
“We had to power through it.”
She praised Campbell for keeping things close, as the Banff offence fell silent.
“She tracked the puck and made the big saves when she needed them,” Newell said.
Fialova was shattered after the match when asked to recall her final rush.
“I wanted to skate with the puck because we were killing a penalty and didn’t want to give it up. I ended up in front of the net and missed my shot,” Fialova said.
The tournament was her last in front of a home crowd, and she has great expectations for her future. She’ll play hockey at NAIT in Edmonton as well as for the Czech national team.
“It was a great experience to learn the language and the culture. I loved being here and being with the girls,” Fialova said.
Erickson echoed her thoughts, noting the team came together quickly.
“We’re like a family.”
Banff defeated the Northern Border Stars 5-1 on Saturday (May 12) to qualify for the gold medal game. Cecile Novel scored a natural hat trick to lead the way for Banff. She was disappointed with the outcome in the final.
“It was so close. It’s pretty tough when it’s a one shot game,” Novel said. “They have good players.”
The team now travels to the Challenge Cup in Vancouver for its last tournament of the season. The girls won the tournament last year, and want revenge for this weekend’s loss.
