CAPS RUN OUT OF GAS VS. AVROS
The Caps finished off a very tough 4 games in 5 days stretch with a tough 4-2 loss to the Avros in Winnipeg on Feb.10. The Caps came out strong and only a couple of great saves stopped them from jumping into a 2-3 goal lead. The Caps did open the scoring with a nice power play goal by Emily Upgang who took a excellent feed from Sheridan Oswald in the slot and directed in the backhand into the Avros net, Leandra Timmerman had started the play off with an quick and accurate cross ice pass for the second assist. The Avros would tie the score with their own power play goal when the Capitals were unable to contain the play on the wall allowing the Avros to get to the slot where they beat Caps goalie Lauren Taraschuk with a perfect backhand to the top corner sending the teams into the intermission all even at 1-1.
The second period saw the Caps struggle to keep up at times to the fresher Avros who scored two goals in 5 minutes to take a 3-1 lead. The Caps would continue to get scoring chances but were not sharp around the net missing several great opportunities.
The third period saw the Caps again get some good scoring chances but again it was the Avros who responded with a goal when Taraschuk was beaten from the slot by a perfect shot under the bar. The Caps continued to press and there was not quit and it finally paid off when Leandra Timmerman score from the point on the powerplay through a screen after receiving a good D to D pass from Tamara McVannel. The Caps pulled their goalie but were unable to find another goal although they had numerous chances. The Coaching staff felt the effort was their but could see that the Caps were obviously tired from the hard 4 games in 5 night schedule, The Caps failed to score 4 breakaways and numerous open or quality chances.
The Caps now take some time off with their final MFMHL regular season game scheduled for Saturday Feb. 14 in Shoal Lake @ 2:30 pm. Playoff positioning with be determined after the results of this game are known and are planned to start the week of February 23.
CAPS WIN IN OT OVER HARD WORKING EASTMAN
The Caps played host to the Eastman Selects on Monday night at the BDO Centre in Portage and although the Selects currently sit last in the MFMHL standings they their hands full just every meeting between the teams this season taking OT before the Caps could secure the win. Although the Caps outshot the Selects 39-18 and at times looked like they would take control of the game they could never shake the never say die Eastman squad, The Caps jumped out to a 1-0 led in the first period on a very nice goal when Mekaela Fisher controlled the down low and as she circled the Selects net hit Emily Upgang in the slot who made no mistake putting the puck in the back of the net, Sarah Thomson picked up the second assist on the play. The Caps kept pressing all period and missed numerous chances to expand their lead but between missing open chances and some great saves from Selects goalie McKenna Wild had to settle for a 1-0 intermission lead.
The second period saw the Caps again control the play outshooting the Selects 18-6 and after some great chances Fisher would finally give the Caps a 2 goal lead when after some good puck cycling down low with Upgang and Sheridan Oswald she would walk off the wall into the slot and beat Wild with a great wrist shot just under the bar. The Selects would not quit however and before the end of the period would make it 2-1 when they scored on the power play when they beat Kathleen Kosior top shelf with a nice shot from the slot.
The third period would again see the Caps waste numerous opportunities to pad their lead and it would come back to hurt them as the Selects would score their second of the night on the power play with minutes to go sending the game into overtime. In the OT period the Caps came out right from the start almost ending it twice in the first minute before Oswald and Fisher would go in on a 2 on 1 moving the back and worth with some nice passing creating an open net situation for Oswald to put the puck into ending a tough hard fought game.
CAPS REBOUND WITH BIG WIN
The night after a tough road loss to first place Westman Wildcats the Caps would host the third place Yellowhead Chiefs who came into the game only 1 point behind the Caps in the MFMHL standings and pick up a hard fought 5-2 win. The win moves the Caps 4 points up on Yellowhead in the race for Top Spot and 5 points behind Westman with the Caps having 3 games left compared to the Wildcats one and Chiefs two.
The win over Yellowhead saw Caps leading scorer Sheridan Oswald score twice while the Caps got single goals from Mekaela Fisher, Eryn Stewart and Sheyla Duncan. The Chiefs would strike first in the first period when the Caps were unable to clear their zone leading to the Chiefs getting two or three extra chances that they finally capitalized on. The Caps would respond with a goal 3 minutes later when Fisher would win a battle on the half wall in the offensive zone and drive the net placing a perfect shot under the bar over the Chiefs' netminders shoulder. They would take the lead when Oswald netted her first after taking a great feed from Emily Upgang from below the net and then beating the goalie with a nice low shot over her pads and just inside the far post giving the Caps a 2-1 first period intermission lead.
The second period would only see one goal as the Caps Eryn Stewart scored on the power play after stepping out from down below the Chiefs net and ripping a wrist shot short side just under the bar and in. Chelsea Hallson and Bryn Schmidt picked up assists on the goal.
The third period saw the Chiefs push back and score on a nice deflection goal off a low hard shot from the point through a screen to make it a one goal game. The Caps would respond quickly to build their 2 goal advantage when Oswald would score her second of the game just over a minute later when she intercepted a Chiefs pass in the offensive zone moved into the high slot and drill a hard slap shot off the cross bar and in. The Caps would get an insurance goal when second year defense Sheyla Duncan scored the first goal of her Caps career by one timing a slap shot towards the Chiefs net that eluded the netminder through a screen, assists on the goal went to Haley Proteau and Hallson who picked up her second of the game. Lauren Taraschuk picked up the win in net stopping 33 of 35 shots.
CAPS LOSE BATTLE FOR 1ST PLACE
The Caps traveled to Hartney to play the Westman WildCats Friday February 6 with first place on the line. After the dust had settled and 22 minor penalties were called the Caps found themselves on the wrong side of a 5-3 empty net goal decision.
The Caps got goals from Sheridan Oswald, Eryn Stewart and Tamara McVannel with Oswald picking up an assist for a 2 point night and single helpers going to Emily Upgang, Leandra Timmerman and Kantara Robertson. The Teams battled through two periods with the score dead locked at 1-1 going into the second intermission. The Caps had a solid first period outshooting their hosts 10-7 however the second period saw the flow of the game controlled by penalty calls as the Caps had to kill off 4 in a row. The third period saw the referee continue to dictate the play with another 8 total penalties called many on the questionable side to both teams. The Caps did a solid job killing penalties however it seemed to take any momentum they had built in the first period away especially when they forced to kill 4 in an 11 minute stretch. The Wildcats outshot the Caps 12-4 in the middle period. The Caps never quit however as Westman built 3-1 and 4-2 leads in the third period only to have the Caps respond each time to keep it a one goal game. The Caps would pull Kathleen Kosior in net for an extra attacker however the Wildcats forced a turnover and scored in to the empty net with 26 seconds remaining. Prior to this in the last 4-5 minutes the Caps had several great opportunities to even the score but it was not to be.
The Caps no play Yellowhead at the BDO Centre in Portage at 6:15 pm on Saturday Feb. 7
CAPS WIN 5TH IN A ROW
The Caps moved to within 2 points of first place with a 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Avros at the BDO Centre in Portage on Saturday Jan. 31. With 4 different goal scorers and 5 players picking up 2 points each the Caps appeared to have the game under control with a 4-1 lead 5 minutes into the third period however 4 minor penalties and leading to two 5 on 3 power plays for Winnipeg allowed them to get back into trhe game as the Caps lost their momentum. The Caps did regain control after a time out with just over a minute to go and never allowed the Avros to get a quality chance to even the score.
The first period saw the Caps again start slowly but unlike their road game vs. Pembina Valley the previous night gained control of the period earlier and were able to take a 1-0 lead into the intermission when Chelsea Hallson scored on a shot from the side of the net with assists going to Haley Proteau and Leandra Timmerman.
The second period saw the Caps build up a 3-0 lead as Emily Upgang scored a nice goal on a 2 on 1 when she directed a perfect pass from Mekaela Fisher who had received a nice breakout pass from defense Tamara McVannel. The Caps would score less than 4 minutes later as Sheridan Oswald would beat the Avros goalie with a hard low shot from the slot after receiving a feed from Upgang, Timmerman picked up the second assist on the play. The Avros would reply immediately as the Caps were unable to clear their zone and then got beat down low leading to an odd man situation around their net allowing a player to step around the net a stuff the puck into the back of the net sending the teams to the second intermission with the Caps leading 3-1.
The start pf third period saw the Caps again control of the tempo of the game and a great goal off of some tremendous passing as McVannel would hit Oswald with back door pass who immediately made a perfect tape to tape pass to Fisher breaking towards the net for a tap in goal. It appeared the Caps would coast from here up 4-1 but the Avros showed no quit and some borderline penalty calls put the Caps on two 5 on 3 power plays. They cashed in on the first to make the score 4-2 before the Caps killed off the second but the penalties took the Caps out of their game and led to another goal with just over a minute to close the gap to 4-3. The Caps would regroup after a time out and control the last minute as the Avros took a late penalty. With the win the Caps stretched their current streak to 5 allowing them to move into second place 2 points behind front running Westman.
BIG ROAD WIN FOR CAPS
The Caps moved into second place in the MFMHL standings with a tough 2-1 road win in Manitou over the Pembina Valley Hawks Friday Jan. 30. The Caps got out of the gate slow and did not register a shot on net until over 7 minutes into the game and fell behind when the Hawks forced a turnover in the Caps end sending the puck to the slot where it was redirected past Kathleen Kosior in net. This appeared to wake up the Caps as they increased their intensity and battle levels and tied the game the prior to the end of the first period on a power play. Chelsea Hallson won the faceoff moving the puck to defense Sydney Taylor who made a nice D to D pass to Bryn Schmidt who got away a nice low shot to the net that beat a perfectly screened Hawks' goalie. The teams would head to the first intermission all even at 1-1.
The Caps came out strong in the second period at the 8:55 mark Emily Upgang scored on a great shot from the slot as she used the Hawks defense as a screen and rang it off the post and in, Tamara McVannel and Schmidt picked up the assists on the play. The 2-1 score would remain through the second period although the Caps had several quality chances to increase their lead.
The third period saw the Caps limit the Hawks scoring chances and even with the goalie pulled the Hawks could not generate any quality chances especially after they took a penalty with just over a minute to go in the game allowing the Caps to finish off a 2-1 win.
The Coaching Staff was pleased with the Caps intensity level from the midway point of the first period on but continues to stress to the team that they must come ready to play from the first puck drop. The Caps are right back at it when they host the Winnipeg Avros at the BDO Centre in Portage on Saturday Jan. 31 with game time set for 6:15 p.m.
CAPS WIN SECOND SHOOTOUT OF WEEKEND
For the second game in 3 days the Caps needed a shootout to pick up a win. The Caps hosted the league leading Westman Wildcats at the BDO Centre in Portage on Sunday January 25th and in an exciting back and forth game the Caps emerged with a 2-1 SO win.
The Caps came out strong to start the game and controlled a large part of the play in first period with their strong forecheck and cycle play leading to 3 powerplays which they eventually took advantage of. After several very good scoring chances the Caps went up 1-0 on a very nice passing play that saw Emily Upgang score on a back door play. Leandra Timmerman made a very good cross ice pass to Sheridan Oswald who then hit Upgang with a quick back door pass who put the puck into the net. The first intermission would end with the Caps carrying the 1-0 lead into the intermission.
The second period saw the Caps outshoot the Wildcats 11-6 as the Caps even though the Caps had to kill of the only 2 penalties called. Both teams had some nice scoring chances but both goalies kept the shooters off the score sheet and the score remained 1-0 after two periods.
The Caps were forced to kill off three penalties to one in the third and OT periods but the only goal scored was by the Wildcats with the teams playing 5 per side on a scramble in front of the Caps net after they failed to clear the defensive zone twice. Nothing was decided in the OT period after the teams finished regulation time dead locked at 1-1.
The shootout saw the Wildcats shoot first with Lauren Tarashcuk in net for the Caps getting a piece of the puck and watching it stay out off the goal post. Like 2 nights earlier Tamara McVannel was the first shooter for the Caps and she again put a great fake on the netminder before sending the puck into the back of the net. Taraschuk would make a second save giving the Caps Chelsea Hallson another chance to end the game like two nights earlier vs. Shoal Lake and she again beat the netminder with a great backhand move to give the Caps an important MFMHL win and stay in the hunt for top spot in the league.
CAPS WIN SHOOTOUT IN SHOAL LAKE
The Caps traveled to Shoal Lake to play the always tough Yellowhead Chiefs in an important MFMHL matchup and it took 3 regulation periods, a 5 minute OT and a shootout before the final score of 3-2 was determined in favour of the Caps. Mekaela Fisher and Eryn Stewart each scored second period goals to help the Caps overcome a 1-0 first period deficit and head into the second intermission with the lead. The 2-1 score stood up for the Caps until there was 1.7 seconds left in the third period and the Chiefs were on a powerplay and had the goalie pulled leading to a 6 on 4 player advantage where they out numbered the Caps getting the puck to the front of the net and scored the equalizer on a scramble in front of the net.
The Caps gave up the first goal of the game with 6:27 left in the first period when they failed to clear their zone twice before turning over the puck in front of their net. The Chiefs jumped on this opportunity and beat Caps' goalie over her glove hand with a shot from the slot.
The Caps rebounded in the second period when Mekaela Fisher scored with a quick shot from the slot after receiving a nice pass from Sheridan Oswald who along with Emily Upgang did a great job battling and winning the puck down behind the Chiefs' net. The Caps would take the lead when Eryn Stewart would drive the net to score on a rebound after Chelsea Hallson got the puck to the net off a great rush up the left wing, Sydney Taylor picked up the second assist on the play.
The teams solved nothing in the 4 on 4 OT session setting up the shootout. The Chiefs opted to shoot first and Kosior came up with a big safe giving Tamara McVannel the chance to put the Caps up and she did with a great fake shot deke letting her put the puck into to a wide open net. The Chiefs would tie the shootout when their second shooter beat Kosior to the glove side after she got a piece of the shot but it had enough to just crawl over the line. Chelsea Hallson then scored on a nice move putting a backhand through the 5-hole on the Chiefs' goalie and Kosior would come up with another save to give the Caps the win and 2 huge points. The win keeps the Caps tied for second place with games in hand on the other teams in the hunt for top 4 positions.
CAPS SPLIT WEEKEND GAMES
After a big road win vs. Pembina Valley on Wednesday the Caps played back to back home games at the BDO Centre in Portage on Friday and Saturday. First they hosted the Norman Wild on Friday night a team they had beaten all 4 previous games this season. This time the outcome was not what the Caps wanted or were expecting althought they outplayed and outshot the visitors 40-13 they could not figure out Wild netminder Kerigan Dowhy. Dowhy stopped everything the Caps had including 5 breakaways giving her team a chance to pick up the road win. The Wild scored during a 4 on 4 when Kendra Hanson beat Caps goalie Kathleen Kosior with a one timer from the slot. With the Caps pressing hard with the goalie pulled and an extra attacker the Wild would seal the win with an empty net goal with 3 seconds left on the clock ending the Caps 8 game win streak.
Saturday night would see the Caps host the Pembina Valley Hawks in a rematch from Wednesday night and the Caps came out with a very complete game from the net out and for the second straight game defeated the Hawks 3-0. Haley Proteau would give the Caps a 1-0 lead when she scored the eventual game winner on a great shot from the slot beating Taylor Reimer in net for the visitors over her shoulder to the top corner. Proteau received a nice pass from below the net from Chelsea Hallson before firing the puck into the net, Marisa Fraser picked up the second assist on the play. This stopped a 41/2 period scoreless drought for the Caps and sent them into the second intermission up 1-0 just like Wednesday in Morden vs. the Hawks and just like Morden the two teams would battle until the last 4 minutes until the Caps could make it 2-0. Eryn Stewart would score on a nice shot under the bar short side when she stepped through on a face off after Chelsea Hallson pushed the puck forward to pick up her second assist and Kantara R||obertson moved the puck over to Stewart. The Hawks would eventual pull their goalie and for the second straight game the Caps would score an empty net goal to seal the deal when Tamara McVannel intercepted a Hawks' pass in neutral ice and scored from centre ice.
The Caps played a very complete game on Saturday with Lauren Taraschuk picking up her second shutout vs. the Hawks in 4 days and the Caps controlling the tempo of the game especially from the second half of the first period on allowing the Hawks just 21 shots while registering 27.
With the split the Caps currently move into second place in the tight MFMHL standings 1 point behind Westman and 1 point ahead of Yellowhead but with a game in hand on each team and 3 up on Pembina Valley with 3 games in hand.
The Caps now have no MFMHL games next weekend but will be looking to skate and remain busy until their matchup on Friday January 23 in Shoal Lake vs. Yellowhead.
CAPS START 2015 WITH ROAD WIN
The Caps traveled to Morden for a matchup with the Pembina Valley Hawks on Wednesday night and came away with a tough and important 3-0 road win. The game was tight from start to finish as the Caps did not open the scoring until the 8 minute mark of the second period on a nice individual effort from defense Tamara McVannel who beat 3 Hawks' defenders from the blueline in before burying a great wrist shot over the shoulder of the Hawks' netminder and just under the cross bar.
The score would remain this way until there was 4:30 left in the third period when Sheridan Oswald made a great pass to set up Emily Upgang who rifled a quick shot from the slot that gave the Caps a much needed 2-0 lead, McVannel picked up the second assist on the play. The Hawks would pull their goalie for the extra attacker however the Caps did a good job of limiting their scoring chances until Emily Upgang scored her second of the night into an empty net to finish the scoring with 2 seconds left.
The Caps received another solid netminding job this time from Lauren Taraschuk who stopped 32 shots to record the shutout and was especially sharp when the Caps got off to a slow shot and were outshot 10-2.
The Caps were without the services of forward Katie McCartney who continues to recover from a shoulder and neck injury as well as veteran defense Sydney Taylor (Family Leave) and Bryn Schmidt hand injury. With the defense down to 5 vets Tamara McVannel and Leandra Timmerman were very solid and second year defense Sheyla Duncan along with rookies Marisa Fraser and Sarah Thomson had very solid games.
The Caps now play back to back home games on Friday Jan. 9 and Saturday Jan. 10 when they host the Norman Wild before a rematch with the Hawks. Both Games are at the BDO Centre in Portage with game times set for 7:30 and 6:15 p.m.
CAPS PICK UP WIN VS. SELECTS
The Caps traveled to St. Adolphe on Sunday December 21 for a matchup vs. a determined Eastman Selects team who had just come off a huge 3-2 Shootout win over the Pembina Valley Hawks the previous day. Knowing this the Caps wanted to control the tempo of the game and put pressure on the Selects with a strong forecheck and did this throughout the game and outshot their hosts 32-11. This pressure final paid off with a powerplay goal with just over 4 minutes left in the first period when defense Tamara McVannel moved into the slot and fired a shot in off the post to give the Caps a 1-0 intermission advantage. The Caps were able to move the puck very effective during the powerplay with Leandra Timmerman and Emily Upgang picking up assists on McVannel's goal. The Caps would continue to apply pressure throughout the game however Selects goalie MaKenna Wild held the Caps from scoring again until there was 4:29 left in the game when Mekaela Fisher would get the puck past the netminder during a scramble in front of the net, Sheridan Oswald and McVannel would pick up assists on the play. With a 2 goal lead the Caps looked like they had their road win secured however like past games vs. the Selects their was no quit in their hosts and with just over 2 minutes to go they scored to make it a 2-1 game setting up for an interesting finish. The Selects would pull their goalie and the Caps had several chances at the empty net but could not get a third goal. The Caps did not allow the Selects to establish any control or quality scoring chances with the extra attacker and skated off with the 2-1 road win and 3 points in the MFMHL Standings keeping them in the hunt for top spot with 40 points two back of first place Yellowhead but with 2 games in hand.
The Caps now don't play until January however have several practices scheduled over the Christmas break.
CAPS MOVE INTO FIRST PLACE WITH WIN VS. AVROS
The Caps traveled to Winnipeg for a rare week night game vs. the Avros at the Keith Bodley Arena on Monday December 15. With a regulation win the Caps could jump up and grab a share of first place in the MFMHL standings and they did that with a tough 2-1 decision. This was the second game in a row the Caps defeated the Avros by a 2-1 score and this time the Avros made it very difficult for the Caps to earn the 3 points. The Caps would do all their scoring in the first period and then hang on for the win. Kantara Robertson gave the Caps a 1-0 lead when she stepped into the puck in the slot for a one timer slap shot that she rang off the post and in after a dump in from teammate Kelly-Rae Zdan bounced into the middle of the ice in the high slot, Sheyla Duncan would pick up the second assist. Team leader in scoring Sheridan Oswald would give the Caps a 2-0 lead when she scored on a similar play with the puck bouncing into the slot where she one timed. A shot from Emily Upgang banged off an opponent and into the slot for Oswald to drive past the Avros goaltender, Mekaela Fisher also picked up an assist on the play.
Lauren Taraschuk in net along with her teammates would hold off the Avros until late in the third period when Jordyn Zacharias would score for Winnipeg with 3:40 remaining to set up an interesting finish with the goalie pulled. The Caps did a good job in limiting the Avros chances with the extra attacker especially by winning the last two face offs so Winnipeg could not establish control and an attack to finish off the win.
For the game the Avros outshot the Caps 29-25 however the Caps were forced to kill off 6 minor penalties to 2 including a lengthy 5 on 3. The difference in the game might have been the Caps penalty kill as they were perfect in this part of the game from the net out.
The Caps now are off from game action until they travel to St. Adolphe to play the Eastman Selects in their last game before Christmas on Sunday December 21 - Puck Drop is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
CAPS PICK UP HARD FOUGHT HOME WIN
The Caps played host to the Eastman Selects on Sunday afternoon at the BDO Centre in Portage and came away with an important MFMHL win. The Selects did not make it easy on the Caps and played hard for 60 minutes making the Caps pick up their play and earn the victory. The first period was scoreless and the Selects came out hard and fast setting the pace as the Caps did not seem to have their skating legs. Although the Selects at times outplayed the Caps in the first neither team could generate much offense with the Selects outshooting the Cals 5-4.
The 2nd period was similar as the Selects again came out with energy and had 3-4 good scoring chances with Kathleen Kosior holding them off the score-sheet in net for the Caps. The Caps finally started to skate and take control territorially and this led to a power play. Eryn Stewart scored her 2nd power play goal in 2 games again on a deflection from a great low shot from the shot by Leandra Timmerman, Tamara McVannel picked up the second assist on the play as the Caps moved the puck well on the power play. Before the period ended Emily Upgang banged in the puck off a scrambled after Sheridan Oswald and Mekaela Fisher did a good job of getting the ouck to the net to pick up assists sending the Caps to the 2 nd intermission up 2-0. The Caps had a much stronger period outshooting Eastman 18-5 and controlling the puck and tempo of the play at a higher level.
The 3rd period saw the Caps continue to improve and control the game outshooting the Selects 12-5 which eventually led to an insurance goal as Chelsea Hallson scored on a shot that beat the Selects goaltender over her shoulder and under the bar, Eryn Stewart picked up her 2nd point on the game with an assist on the play.
CAPS FIND A WAY TO WIN IN SHOAL LAKE
The Caps traveled to Shoal Lake to face the first place Yellowhead Chiefs on Friday Dec. 5 and were reminded how tough the Chiefs are to play in their own rink. The Chiefs came out strong and controlled a large part of the 1st period with the Caps pushing back on a late power play and the last 6 minutes of the period. The teams could not resolve anything in the open stanza and went to the intermission scoreless.
The Chiefs again came out strong in the 2nd period however the Caps elevated their battle level and eventually scored on the power play. Eryn Stewart scored on a nice deflection off a on timer from Sheridan Oswald who had been set up with a great back door pass from Tamara McVannel. This was the only scoring in the game as Lauren Taraschuk was solid for the Caps stopping all 37 shots fired her way. The Caps battled through a tough road game where the hosts outplayed them but the Caps found a way to pick up a huge road win.
CAPS SWEEP NORMAN ON ROAD TRIP
Led by the offensive outbursts of Emily Upgang, Sheridan Oswald and Mekaela Fisher the Caps picked up 2 important MFMHL wins in Norway House on the weekend. Upgang and Oswald both had 3 goals and 3 assists while Fisher had 3 goals and 2 assists as the Caps recorded 4-1 and 6-2 victories. Kathleen Kosior and Lauren Taraschuk each recorded a win in net for the Caps as they moved into 3rd place in the tight MFMHL standings that sees the top 4 teams all within 4 points of each other coming up to the mid way point of the schedule.
The Caps now take a break from MFMHL play as the head to St. Paul Minnesota for a tournament from November 27-30. See Side Bar for Game Schedule.
CAPS GET BACK IN WIN COLUMN
The Caps earned 3 important points on Saturday Nov. 15th when they picked up a tough 2-0 win over the Norman Wild at the BDO Centre in Portage la Prairie. In a game that saw the Caps dominate and out shoot the visitors 60-11 the game was still in doubt until they scored into the empty net after Norman had pulled their goaltender.
The Caps and Wild battled to a scoreless first period even though the Caps outshot the Wild 25-2 and had several glorious opportunities. It was not until the half way point of the second period that the Caps were able to solve Wild goalie Kerigan Dowhy when Eryn Stewart fired a low shot past her after receiving a pass from Haley Proteau, the second assist on the play went to Chelsea Hallson. The teams would head into the second intermission with the Caps leading 1-0 and out shooting the Wild 40-7. The third period saw Dowhy continue to put up a wall in net for the Wild as she faced another 19 shots stopping them all. With the net empty Mekaela Fisher would ice the game for the Caps as she scored with 24 seconds left after receiving a breakaway pass from Emily Upgang, Sheridan Oswald earned the second assist on the play. Lauren Taraschuk picked up the Shutout win for the Caps.
CAPS STREAK STOPPED BY WILDCATS
The Caps win streak was snapped at 5 by the visiting Westman Wildcats who skated away with a 3-1 win at the BDO Centre in Portage. The Wildcats came to Portage with a tenacious checking game that gave the Caps trouble right from the start of the game. The Caps and Wildcats battled through an even first period that saw each team only generate 4 shots on net but both teams were able to notch one goal for their efforts. The Wildcats jumped into a 1-0 lead when the Caps were unable to clear their zone and allowed the Wildcats to step out from behind their net and score on a wrap around. The Caps would score the equalizer with 5 minutes left in the period when they won a battle on the half wall in the Westman zone and Mekaela Fisher walked off the wall and released a quick wrist shot that beat the Wildcats netminder.
From here the Caps had difficultly generating any sustained offense and at times had difficultly getting out of their end against the checking of Westman. The second period did see the Caps out shoot the Wildcats 10-6 however give up the only goal as the Wildcats scored on a scramble in front of the net after the puck took a strange bounce off the back boards and come over the top of the net and landed in the slot area.
The third period saw the Caps get a couple of chances early but it was the Wildcats that scored half way through the period when the Wildcats found their way to the net on a rush and the Caps were unable to contain the rebound leading to the final goal of the game. The Caps came back with some pressure and opportunities to close the gap especially in the last 5 minutes however the Wildcats did a good job of keeping the scoring zone protected and limiting any second chances.
CAPS PICK UP 5th WIN IN A ROW
The Caps played host to the Winnipeg Avros on Remembrance Day for a MFMHL matinee game at the BDO Centre for the Community in Portage and picked up an important MFMHL win. The two teams played through a scoreless first period with the Caps carrying the play but only outshot the Avros 9-5. The Caps carried territorial play generating more chances to the net but had their efforts either blocked or miss the net. The Avros did finish the first period with a solid push offensively and Lauren Taraschuk was forced to make several key saves to keep the game scoreless.
The second period saw the Caps and Avros battle through a back and forth period with neither team establishing much offense through the checking of the opposition. The Caps outshot Winnipeg 6-5 and did manage to score the lone goal of the period when Emily Upgang put the puck behind the Avros netminder after taking a pass from Sheridan Oswald on a 2-0 rush. The play was started when the Caps forced a trunover at their blueline and Tamara McVannel made a quick pass that sent the forwards away on the breakout.
The Caps came out fast in the third period however could not take advantage of their chances and the Avros evened the score when the Caps turned over the puck in neutral ice and then lost their defensive responsility in the defensive zone leading to a tap in goal for Winnipeg in front of the Caps net. The Caps would regain the lead on the powerplay as Chelsea Hallson pushed the puck forward on an offensive zone faceoff and Emily Upgang would move off the wing and get the puck quickly to the net fooling the Avro's netminder as it slid in just past the far post. From here Taraschuk made some big saves on a penalty kill and the Caps held on for the all important 3 points for a regulation win, for the Game the Caps outshot the Avros 29-18.
CAPS PICK UP BIG ROAD WIN
The Caps traveled to Hartney on Saturday night to play the first place Westman Wildcats and came away with hard fought 1-0 road win to extend their win streak to 4. It was a big win for the Caps as the last time they ventured into the Hartney Arena the Wildcats sent them home on the wrong side of a 3-0 score. The Caps got off to a much better start during the return match and scored the only goal of the first period unlike their first visit to Hartney that saw them trailing 2-0 going into the first intermission. Leandra Timmerman scored the lone goal of the game on the power play with 6 minutes remaining in the period after receiving a back door pass from Tamara McVannel, the second assist on the play went to Chelsea Hallson. From this point on the two goalies shut the door on any more scoring in a tight checking game. Kathleen Kosior was excellent in net for the Caps especially during the second period when the Caps killed off 4 straight powerplays including an extended 5 on 3. Kosior made several solid saves in the late part of the third period when the Wildcats made a determined push to get the equalizer with their goalie pulled. The game saw several momentum swings especially when one team or the other was on the powerplay, the Wildcats outshot the Caps by a slim 22-19 margin.
CAPS PICK UP TOUGH WIN VS. SELECTS
The Capitals played their second MFMHL game in two days when they hosted the Eastman Selects on Saturday Nov. 1 at the BDO Centre and skated away with a tough 2-1 win. Although the Caps would outshoot the Selects 44 to 13 and controlled a large majority of the play the scrappy Selects would not go away. The Caps jumped into a 1-0 first period lead when Sheridan Oswald would beat the Selects goalie with a great slap shot under the bar on the powerplay. The Caps had moved the puck around on the powerplay with solid passing until they found Oswald open for a backdoor pass. Tamara McVannel and Leandra Timmerman picked up the assists on the play.
The second period saw the Caps start on the powerplay and get a couple of chances early however it was the Selects who would score just 44 seconds in just after the powerplay ended when the Caps turned over control of the puck down near their net and the Selects jumped on it to score on a low shot just over Lauren Taraschuk's pad who was in net for the Caps. It was only goal she allowed as she was not busy but made two to three big saves when she had. The Caps would regain their one goal lead before the end of the period as Chelsea Hallson would sore off the rush with a shot on net that would bounce in off a Selects defender. Sydney Taylor would pick up the lone assist on the play.
The third period saw no scoring as the Caps had several great chances to extend the lead but Mckenna Wild was solid in net for the Selects stopping 42 of 44 shots fired her way. The Selects would pull their goalie in an effort to get the equalizer however the Caps kept good pressure on the puck and did not allow a quality chance while selects had the netminder pulled.
CAPS PICK UP SECOND STRAIGHT SHOOTOUT WIN
The Caps hosted the defending MFMHL Champions on Halloween Night at the BDO Centre in Portage and came away with another 2-1 shootout win. It was the second in a row for the Caps as they picked up a big MFMHL win. The two teams went back and forth during the game changing momentum on several occasions with the Caps gaining the first advantage when they scored a shorthanded goal late in the second period. Sheridan Oswald forced a turnover in the defensive zone and moved the puck to Emily Upgang who beat the Hawks' defense to the net and put a nice backhand through the 5-hole to send the Caps into the second intermission with a 1-0 lead.
The defending champion Hawks would not be kept off the scoreboard and scored off a faceoff in the Caps zone when Chelsea Dearsley picked up a lose puck in the slot and beat Kathleen Kosior through a screen,
The teams would play 5 minutes of OT and settled nothing with the Caps having the best chance when Sheridan Oswald was stopped on a point blank one-timer from the slot after some nice passing by the Caps. The Caps and Hawks would now go to a shootout with the 4th shooter Tamara McVannel notching the winner on a great deke. The Caps won the shootout 2-1 with Chelsea Hallson scoring the other Caps' marker. Kathleen Kosior stopped 3 of 4 shooters and stopped 16 of 17 shots fired her way giving the Caps another solid effort in net.
CAPS EARN WEEKEND SPLIT
The Caps got back on the winning side of the score sheet with a tough 2-1 shootout win over the first place Yellowhead Chiefs on home ice at the BDO Centre on Saturday October 25. The Chiefs were previously unbeaten in MFMHL play and held a 1-0 lead after a second period powerplay goal. This lead appeared to be holding up as the Chiefs received solid goaltending and played a tight defensive style. The Caps however were finally able to get the equalizer when they won an offensive zone faceoff that went back to first year defense Sarah Thomson who let a low shot go that beat the Chiefs' netminder Emma Greenwood along the ice. Mekaela Fisher and Sheridan Oswald picked up assists on the play. The two teams could not settle anything in regulation and the 5 minute OT period with the Caps carrying the play outshooting the Chiefs 18-4 over the last 25 minutes, the Caps outshot the Chiefs 32-20 for the game. Lauren Taraschuk was again solid in net for the Caps stopping 19 of 20 shots fired her way as well as 2 of 3 shooters in the shootout. Chelsea Hallson and Sheridan Oswald both scored in the 3 player shootout for the Caps.
CAPS LOSE IN WESTMAN
The Caps traveled to Hartney on Friday October 24 to face a determined and tenacious Wildcats team. Unfortunately the Caps would get off to a slow start in the first period where they got outshot 11-2 and outscored 2-0 by a hardworking Westman team. This deficit would be more than the Caps could overcome and although outplaying and outshooting the Wildcats 20-7 over the final 2 periods came out on the wrong side of a 3-0 result in MFMHL play. Kathleen Kosior would be the hard luck loser in net for the Caps who had several opportunities to get back in the game on the powerplay and although generating quality chances to the Westman net could not get on the scoreboard.
CAPS PICK UP MFMHL ROAD WIN
The Caps traveled to St. Adolphe on Sunday afternoon and came away with a hard fought and well earned 3-0 road win. The Caps received goals from Emily Upgang, Chelsea Hallson and Mekaela Fisher while Tamara McVannel picked up 2 assists with single helpers going to Leandra Timmerman and Upgang. Lauren Taraschuk picked up the shut out for the Caps stopping all 19 shots fired her way. Taraschuk made some huge saves in the second and third periods when the Caps ran into some penalty trouble.
The Caps came out strong dominating the first period scoring 2 goals off of 11 shots on goal while limiting the Selects to one shot on goal. This was all the scoring until the third period although the Caps outshot Eastman 18-10 in the second period. The second and third periods were marred by penalties that slowed the flow of the play with 15 minor infractions called. The Caps finally notched their goal of the game when Fisher scored on the powerplay. For the game the Caps outshot the Selects 38-19.
The coaching staff was pleased with the pace the Caps played at with good solid play in their own end leading to good rushes and pressure in the offensive zone.
CAPS PICK UP 2 WINS IN MORDEN
CAPITALS 2 - SHAFTSBURY 1 - The Caps travelled to Morden to participate in the Pembina Valley Thanksgiving Tournament however ending up playing two games as part of the weekend event as the Hosts had a team drop out late and made running a balanced schedule unworkable. The Caps agreed to play a game Friday and Saturday to fill out the events schedule and matched up against Shaftsbury Titans and Lloydminster Steelers.
The Titans a Prep Program from Winnipeg has players from BC, Ontario and other locations and are currently ranked 3rd in the MyHockey Rankings for Canadian Prep Programs. The Caps knew this would a great challenge for them and needed to compete at their top level for 60 minutes.
The Caps got out of the gate slow in the first period and at one time were being outshot 7-0 however received solid goaltending from Lauren Taraschuk while limiting the quality of the scoring changes. The Caps would receive the spark they needed when their leading scorer Sheridan Oswald forced a turnover from the Titans' Defense while killing a penalty and scored a shorted goal on a breakaway with a great move that fooled the goaltender. The game would even out from here with the shots on net heading into the 1st intermission favoring the Titans 9-7. The Titans woul again come strong to start the 2nd period and notched the equalized 5 minutes into the period on a nice 2 on 1 when a Caps defense got caught at the far blueline. The Caps would regain the lead when Mekaela Fisher scored on a rebound beating the Titans goaltender short side off the post. Sarah Thomson sent a good low shot from the point through after receiving a pass from Leandra Timmerman. The teams went into the intermission with the Caps holding a 2-1 advantage. The 3rd period saw no scoring and the Caps came away with a solid win. Shots on goal were 28-24 for the Titans. The Caps did a great job killing off all 5 powerplays the Titans had compared to their 3.
CAPITALS 3 - LLOYDMINSTER 0 - The Caps played a solid 2nd game Saturday morning as they outshot their opponents 33-11 utilizing a strong forecheck to control the tempo of the game. The Caps received a solid 3 point performance from Eryn Stewart who had 2 goals and an assist. Sheridan Oswald was the other Caps scorer with assists going to Chelsea Hallson, Haley Proteau and Tamara Mcvannel. The Caps had intermission leads of 1-0 and 2-0 with Kathleen Kosior picking the shutout. Kosior was not busy in net but make 3-4 huge saves with the score being 1-0 and 2-0 and the Caps still pressing offensively to maintain the lead.
