Silver medal bittersweet for Kootenay Wildcats
By The Nelson Daily Sports
By Bruce Fuhr
The Nelson Daily Sports
For the third consecutive year the Kootenay Wildcats watched as another team celebrated a provincial title.
Thompson/Okanagan Rockets scored the only goal of the third period to squeak out a 3-2 victory in game three of the 2010-2011 Female Midget AAA Championship Sunday night in Rutland.
The Rockets win the best-of-three series 2-1 and repeat at Female Midget AAA Champions.
“Try as we might we (just) could not get a break,” said Kootenay coach Mario DiBella.
The Wildcats lost in 2009 to the Vancouver Fusion and in 2010 to the Rockets.
This season it appeared to be different story as Kootenay opened the series Friday with a 3-1 win. Goals by Shannon Hall of Rock Creek and Hailey McLean of Castlegar staked the Cats to a quick 2-0 lead.
Thompson/Okanagan scored a power play goal to pull within a goal of Kootenay. But before the regular season champs could get any closer Hall scored her second of the game into an empty net.
“(We) played tremendous defence over the last period,” DiBella said.
Saturday, once gain the Cats scored first with Cranbrook’s Daley Oddy giving the visitors the early 1-0 lead.
Thompson/Okanagan tied the game then scored twice on the power play to take a 3-1 lead.
Oddy, a member of the 2011 Team B.C. squad that competed in the Canada Winter Games in Halifax, scored her second of the game to close the margin to 3-2 but Kootenay could not find the equalizer.
DiBella was less than impressed with the officiating in game two.
“(Those calls) unfortunately adversely influenced the outcome of the game for the Wildcats,” DiBella lamented.
Sunday, for the third consecutive game Kootenay scored first as Team B.C. defenceman Aimee DiBella of Nelson gave the Cats a 1-0 lead with a power play marker.
Thompson/Okanagan tied the game before the period ended. In the second the Rockets took the lead. This time Hall came to the rescue, evening the game after 40 minutes.
The third period turned into a defensive battle as both teams looked for opportunities to score.
The Rockets took advantage of their chance, getting the winner on the power play.
Kootenay pressed for the tying goal, pulling the goalie in the final minute of the game despite playing a player short but could not tie the contest and for the third straight season win finish as silver medalists.
sports@thenelsondaily.com
