Cougars earn redemption in Native Hockey Tourney rematch
The YT Cougars earned redemption in the 2024 Yukon Native Hockey Tournament鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Division.
By Morris Prokop on March 27, 2024
The YT Cougars earned redemption in the 2024 Yukon Native Hockey Tournament鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Division.
The Cougars edged the AFN/CAFN Storm 3-2 in a dramatic comeback win.
They had lost the 2023 final to the Storm by a humbling 4-0 score.
Davina McLeod opened the scoring for the Storm only 42 seconds into the game.
Krya McDonald scored on a breakaway with 6:29 left in the first to put the Storm up 2-0.
That score held until the end of the first period.
The Cougars Angela Epp scored 2:42 into the second to cut the Storm鈥檚 lead in half.
There was no more scoring in the second and the Storm went into their dressing room with a 2-1 lead after two periods.
The trend of early goals continued in the third period as the Cougars鈥 Piper Fordham tied it up only 1:48 into the third.
The Cougars took the lead at 6:23 of the third on a goal by Camie Matteau Rushbrook.
The Storm tried in vain to get the equalizer, despite a power play in the first half of the period. During the Storm advantage, a shot squeaked through Cougar Goalie Alex Nelson鈥檚 legs but didn鈥檛 make it over the line and was swatted out of harm鈥檚 way by Cougar captain Krystal McKenna. Of note, there was a quick whistle on the play.
After their victory, McKenna exclaimed, 鈥淥h my God! It鈥檚 so exciting.
So, so fun.
鈥淚t was fast hockey and I鈥檓 not used to it, but I鈥檓 so happy to be here.鈥 McKenna added, 鈥淚t was great.
Everybody over there on that Storm team is incredible. They鈥檙e hard workers. We were lucky. I was lucky,
I should say. We had some nice young skaters here to keep us on the up. It was incredible.鈥
McKenna acknowledged that her team seemed to control a lot of the play throughout the game.
鈥淲e鈥檝e got some good skaters here. They鈥檙e good passers, they鈥檙e hard workers. Incredible group of ladies.鈥 McKenna agreed that the Cougars really used their speed to move the puck up the ice.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e good with controlling the puck and getting pucks on net.鈥 Mckenna said redemption felt incredible.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e a solid team, so this feels really, really good.鈥 McKenna said the key to victory was getting pucks on the net, working hard and playing the body.
When asked how she felt when they were down 2-0, McKenna replied,
鈥淚 was a little concerned.鈥
But once they got their first goal, according to McKenna, it was 鈥済ame over.鈥
She added, 鈥淚鈥檓 just so happy to be here and so thankful for all the board members that put this tournament together. It鈥檚 so, so incredible to see all these people here and getting to see people we haven鈥檛 seen for a long time and it鈥檚 such a great, incredible atmosphere.鈥
Three Cougars won individual Women鈥檚 Division awards.
Kyra McDonald was top scorer.
Piper Fordham was tops on defence.
Alexandra Nelson was named best goalie.
The Storm鈥檚 Davina McLeod was named Women鈥檚 Division MVP.
The other division winners were as follows:
A Division: LJ鈥檚 Sabres.
B Division: K&D Outlaws
C Division: Kwanlin Du虉n Predators
Oldtimers Division: CAFN Bruins
Youth Division: Fort Nelson Bears
Jamboree A Division: North Yukon Eagles
Jamboree B Division: JMB Thunder
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