Kyra Anderson scored the game winning goal with 7:25 left in double overtime, as the visiting Notre Dame Hounds beat the Regina Rebels 1-0 to win the SFU18AAAHL championship on Sunday night.
After an 8 p.m. puck drop, the game nearly lasted until midnight, with over 90 minutes played. The Hounds out shot the Rebels 47-27 in the game, including outshooting them 15-6 combined through two overtimes.
Notre Dame had control for most of the game, given they had seven chances to score on the powerplay, but Regina goalie Payton Schlamp shut the door, making 46 saves in the loss. Hounds goalie Eva Filippova turned aside all 27 shots for the shutout win.
The game winning goal in double OT came after a puck battle along the wall in the Rebels zone. The puck came back to the point for Tessa Henry, who sent a long pass to the slot for Anderson. Alone in front of the net, Anderson snapped a quick shot top corner past Schlamp before a defender could disrupt the quick release.
Anxious fans stuck around to see the game winner more than midway through double OT, devastating the Rebels and their supporters, while the fans who made the trip from Notre Dame flooded the ice after the championship ceremony.
After dropping game one of the series 4-3 in double overtime at home, the Hounds responded, winning games two and three by 2-1 scores. Anderson’s championship winning goal in game four was her fifth of the playoffs, and her ninth point in the postseason, tying her for the team lead over the eight game stretch.
It’s the sixth title in Notre Dame Hounds female history, and their first since 2012. They will head to Hartney, Manitoba now, where they will begin their best of three regional final against the Westman Wildcats. The winner secures their spot in the Esso Cup. The regional final begins on April 22.
@kyle_kosowan•sports@paherald.sk.ca
