
The Prince Albert Northern Bears are heading into the Christmas break just the way they wanted: with a win.
The Bears bounced back from a 5-1 loss to Regina on Saturday with a 4-2 win over the Swift Current Wildcats on Sunday. Head coach Steve Young said the squad did a great job of elevating their game.
“I thought it was important for our hockey club to end on a good note,” Young said. “I thought we got some energy early, which we needed. There were times we had some lulls in our game, but for the most part the girls played a solid game.
“As a team, when we play like that we’re a good hockey club,” he added. “We’ve just got to catch onto how to do it consistently.”
After scoring only once on Saturday, the Bears erupted for three first period goals at the Art Hauser Centre on Sunday. Bears captain Elizabeth Udell said the team was capable of playing much better than they did on Saturday, and wanted to prove it.
“I think everyone showed up to play,” Udell said. “It’s the last game of the (calendar) year, so just ending on good terms is really important going into the second half.”
Jersie Andersen led the way for Prince Albert with two goals and an assist, including the game winner with roughly six minutes to play in the first period.
Olivia Trann and Marly Dumanski had the other goals for the Bears, who improved to 5-8-0-2 on the season. Kaylee Williams and Kyla Benjamin had the goals for the Swift Current, who fall to 7-7-1-2.
Annika Neufeldt stopped 26 shots in the Prince Albert goal to secure the win, including a blocker save on a breakaway with less than three minutes to go in the third period. Jordyn Ottenbreit made 20 saves for the Wildcats.
Young said it’s important for the team to get some rest with their families during the Christmas break, but still be ready to hit the ice when the season resumes on Jan. 11.
“We do have a big Christmas break, so it is important after Christmas that they maintain their strength, because we go right into Notre Dame as soon as we get back,” he said.
“I believe for this hockey club (that) whatever they want to be or wherever they want to finish, it’s up to them. They have the opportunity to do that. It’s in their hands.”
The two teams did the majority of the scoring in the first period. Trann got the Bears on the board at 12:29 by stickhandling around a Swift Current defender, pulling Ottenbreit out of position, and backhanding the puck into the net.
Dumanski made it 2-0 Bears roughly four minutes later when she collected a loose puck in front and fired it past Ottenbreit’s outstretched pad.
Swift Current responded at 6:08 when Williams beat Neufeldt high glove side to make it 2-1, but the momentum didn’t last. Prince Albert regained the two goal lead just 14 seconds later when Andersen stole the puck from a Swift Current defender and scored on a partial breakaway.
Swift Current rounded out the first period scoring with 3:28 to play when Benjamin backhanded a loose puck into the net on a goalmouth scramble.
The two clubs played a scoreless second period, and an almost entirely scoreless third before Andersen scored her second of the night into an empty net on a shot from just inside her own blueline.
The Bears are off until Jan. 11-12 when they travel to Notre Dame for a two-game series against the Hounds. Their next home game is Saturday, Jan. 18 against Weyburn. Puck drop is 1:30 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre.