The Prince Albert Northern Bears used their special teams and a deep bench to overwhelm the Battleford Sharks 7-3 at the Art Hauser Centre on Sunday.
Kate Ball, Ireland South, Hannah Koroll, Brooke Hobson, Camryn Amundson and Story Navrot all scored for the bears, who swept the Sharks out of the playoffs in decisive fashion.
Bears head coach Jeff Willoughby applauded his team’s effort, and said they got stronger as the series went on.
“The first game I think we were a little tentative, and Battleford came out strong in the first game,” he said shortly after Sunday’s victory. “We were lucky to come away with that win, but I think we’ve built up our game nicely in the last two games. It was just a combination of a lot of things.”
As they have all season, the Bears relied on offence by committee. The Bears also had five different scorers during their 5-0 victory in game two on Saturday, and Kate Ball was the only Prince Albert player to register two goals on Sunday.
Willoughby said that offensive depth has allowed them to have success all season, and made it difficult for opposing teams to key in on a few top players.
“Our scoring has come from many different players, and we want that,” he explained. “I think you’re a tough team to defend when scoring comes from all around. If it’s more of a focal point of one or two players, it’s a little easier for teams to defend.”
For the rest of this story, please see the Feb. 28 online or print edition of the Daily Herald.
