CAPS SEASON COMES TO AN END!
The Caps lost games 4 and 5 in their best of 5 series with the Yellowhead Chiefs and now will have to think about what could have been. The hardworking Chiefs found a way in both games to secure wins. Although outshot 37-17 in Game 5 the Chiefs came out on top 2-1 and ended the Caps' season. For game reports on both Game 4 and 5 go to:
http://www.portagedailygraphic.com/2014/03/02/female-caps-knocked-out-by-chiefs
Although extremely disappointed not to move on to the MFMHL semi-finals for the second year in a row and another shot the Pembina Valley Hawks the coaching staff felt the team left it all on the ice outshooting the Chiefs 18-5 in the period of the last game and 37-17 in total.
In review the Caps had another successful season with their 25 wins being the second most in team history while setting a new team record by only allowing 68 goals against for the season. The team unfortunately will lose 5 graduating players with Forwards Courtlyn Oswald, Taylor Boehlig, Defense Liz Stewart and both goaltenders Elisha Oswald and Robin Thiessen playing their last games in a Caps Uniform. Oswald the team Captain the last 2 seasons will leave as the teams all-time leading scorer with 99 goals and 82 assists for 181 points. Elisha Oswald during her 3 full seasons has won the most games by any goaltender with 41 while teammate Robin Thiessen holds the shutout record with 15 one more than Oswald. Taylor Boehlig has been a solid 2-way player for the Caps however injuries marred her final season limiting her playing time. A tenacious player who provided the team with high energy off and on the ice. Liz Stewart over her three years did whatever the Caps Coaching Staff asked playing defense her first year then moving to forward the next before finishing as a defense again while moving back and forth in between whenever the team needed her to.
The 2013-14 season saw the Caps lose more significant playing time to injury than any season in their history with key veteran players such as Hannah Dalrymple (20 games) , Boehlig (27 Games), Kantara Robertson (20 games), Leandra Timmerman (20 games) being lost for extended periods while rookies Sheyla Duncan missed 10 and Randi Wright 32. This resulted to the team playing a significant number of games where the team played with a small roster yet the team continued to compete and the younger players gained quality experience. The return of some of the injured players helped the team near the end of the season however as hard as they played their conditioning and timing was still returning just as the Caps were eliminated.
The Coaching Staff is proud of the team's successful season and looks forward to 2014-15 with a solid core of players returning. The expectations for 2014-15 is that the Caps will add to their already solid schedule and challenge the team to continue to move forward.
Thank You to our fans, parents and players for an outstanding season!
OT AGAIN
For the second game in a row the Caps went into OT with the Yellowhead Chiefs however this time Caps Defense Tamara McVannel scored 6:34 into the extra frame giving her team a come from behind 3-2 win and a 2-1 lead in their best of 5 MFMHL Playoff Series. The game was played in Shoal Lake as the Caps' Home Game set for Wednesday February 26 was canceled due to poor weather. The Caps and Chiefs now hook up Saturday night in MacGregor for Game 4 and if necessary Game 5 will be Sunday night in either MacGregor or Portage la Prairie.
The Caps got off to a slow start in Game 3 as the Chiefs as they usually do came at the Caps hard and fast in their rink forcing the pace of the game. The Caps were unable to generate anything towards the Chiefs net for a great of the first period and the Chiefs were rewarded for their aggressive play with two first period goals. The first was banged past Caps goaltender Robin Thiessen on a goal mouth scramble where the Caps allowed the Chiefs 3-4 attempts before the puck was shot off the post and in. The second goal came right off a defensive zone faceoff where the winger along the wall was allowed to skate right in with the puck uncontested and snap a shot top shelf to give the Chiefs a 2-0 intermission lead.
The Caps were outshot and outworked in the first period as they only generated 4 shots on goal while allowing 7 by the Chiefs. The Coaching Staff challenged the Caps to play their game, use their speed and compete at a higher level which they did. The Caps would outshoot the Chiefs 12-6 in the second frame however it took almost the entire 20 minutes as Emily Upgang scored unassisted with 10 seconds remaining in the period as she beat the Chiefs netminder with a wrist shot after coming off the boards towards the slot. The late goal sent the teams to the second intermission with the Chiefs leading 2-1 but the Caps had picked up some much needed momentum.
Over the remainder of the game the Caps would only outshoot the Chiefs 13-10 but Robin Thiessen would shut the door in net and the Caps scored the equalized with 7 minutes to go in the game when Courtlyn Oswald blasted a slapshot past a screened Chiefs netminder from the right point. Tamara McVannel and Sheridan Oswald picked up assists on the powerplay goal.This would lead to a 10 minute sudden death OT period and 6:34 into the period Tamara McVannel took a nice field from Upgang before moving into the high slot and sending a great slap shot just inside the far post that the Chiefs goalie never saw completing the Caps their 3-2 comeback win and a hard fought 2-1 series lead.
The Caps hope to wrap up the series when they host the Chiefs for game 4 in MacGregor on Saturday March 1 with puck drop set for 8:00 p.m.
CAPS HOST CHIEFS FOR GAME 3
After suffering a tough 2-1 OT loss on the road to Yellowhead that saw the Chiefs even the MFMHL best of 5 series at 1-1 the Caps look to rebound on home ice Wednesday February 26 at the BDO Centre in Portage where they won the first game of the series 4-0. The Caps got their lone goal of game 2 in the first period when Liz Stewart banged in a rebound off a good point shot from Courtlyn Oswald who had been fed the puck on the point by Emily Upgang. This made the score 1-1 at the time and the two teams traded chances throughout the next two periods with no one being able to find the back of the net until the Chiefs banged in a rebound early in the first OT. Elisha Oswald suffered the tough loss for the Caps playing a very solid game for the Caps.
Game Time for Wednesday Night at the BDO Centre is 7:45 pm.
CAPS TAKE FIRST GAME IN SERIES vs. YELLOWHEAD
The Caps got the start they wanted with a 4-0 win in the first game of their best of 5 MFMHL playoff series vs the Yellowhead Chiefs. The score does indicate how hard the Caps had to play against the hardworking aggressive Chiefs. The teams went into the first intermission tied at 0-0 as the Caps would outshoot the Chiefs 9-6 but the Chiefs limited the quality of the chances by blocking shots and keeping the Caps from getting to available rebounds.
The Caps would continue to pressure the Chiefs to start the second period and it finally paid off when Tamara McVannel would score on a nice screen shot from the point after receiving a great feed from Courtlyn Oswald. Courtlyn Oswald would make it 2-0 on the Caps only powerplay of the night when she stepped into a one timer in the slot that eluded a screened Chiefs goaltender, McVannel picked up the lone assist on the play. The teams would head into the second intermission with the Caps leading 2-0.
The third period would see Caps Captain Courtlyn Oswald complete the nature hattrick scoring the only 2 goals of the period. The first was on a quick shot from the slot after receiving a great field from down below the net from Emily Upgang. Oswald's third goal was on a quick snap shot as she broke in off the right wing and beat the goalie on the short side after taking a pass from Sheridan Oswald. Robin Thiessen picked up the win and shutout stopping all 16 shots fired her way with several key saves on penalty kills as the Chiefs had 5 powerplays compared to the Caps 1. The Caps outshot the Chiefs 26-16 for the game.
The Caps travel to Shoal Lake for game 2 of the series Sunday February 23 with game time set for 2:00 p.m.
The Caps received a boost when 2nd year forward Kantara Robertson was cleared to return to the line up and play some shifts in an attempt to get her her back in game shape after 3 full practices plus the Caps are hoping to have 3rd year forward Taylor Boehlig return to the line up hopefully in the next 4-5 days.
