Northern Bears to face Manitoba’s Westman Wildcats in Western regional playoffs

The Prince Albert Northern Bears have one final hurdle to clear before advancing to the 2017 Esso Cup, Canada’s national women’s midget hockey tournament.

This weekend, the Saskatchewan Female Midget ‘AAA’ Hockey League champion Bears host the Westman Wildcats of the Manitoba Female Midget Hockey League (MFMHL) in the West Regional Final at the Art Hauser Centre. The last time the Bears and the Wildcats met was in an exhibition in January 2016.

Games 1 and 2 will be held on Friday, March 31 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, April 1 at 7 p.m. respectively. If necessary, Game 3 is set for Sunday, April 2 at 2 p.m. The winner of the best-of three series moves on to the Esso Cup, which is being held in Morden, Man. at the end of April.

“Being a little bit nervous is totally fine but I think the girls have to embrace this and have fun with it,” Bears coach Jeff Willoughby said.

“This opportunity could come along again, but perhaps it might not. So I think you just have to treat it like it’s not going to happen again and just make the best of it, be prepared as well as you can and don’t let any negative emotions take over.”

For more on this story, please read the Prince Albert Daily Herald¹s subscription-based print or e-editions.