By Nathan Kanter

AAA Sharks goal scoring woes continue in losses to Rebels

Nov 7, 2016 | 1:14 PM

The scoring chances were there this weekend for the AAA Sharks, but the goals just wouldn’t come until it was too late, as they dropped two weekend contest to the Regina Rebels, 3-0 and 6-3.

The losses leave the Sharks without a win this season, despite some great efforts the past two weekends.

Last weekend, they lost 6-2 and 3-2 in a shootout to Notre Dame, while largely outplaying them in both games.

This past weekend, they were shut out on Saturday despite outshooting the Rebels 38-23. On Sunday, it took until the third period to muster a goal. In fact, three goals came in quick succession when the team was already down 4-0. Regina would eventually stop the floodgates and hang on for a 6-3 win.

“Both games I guess it comes down to having trouble scoring,” Sharks head coach Gary Berggren said after Sunday’s loss. “Yesterday we outshot them [and] we outplayed them. We just couldn’t put the puck in the net. Today … I think they took the play to us for the majority of the game until we started to push back in the third there and scored three goals but it has been a big struggle putting the puck into the net.”

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But the three goals in 1:48 could breathe new life into this team, as noted by their coach.

The Sharks have just 11 goals in seven games this season.

“It was very exciting,” Berggren said. “We had 10 shifts there in a row that were excellent. Probably the best 10 shifts we’ve played all year, really taking it to Regina. They were on their heels – didn’t know how to stop us. That’s how we need to play all the time.”

Regina was missing four players – three because they were at the U-18 provincials and one because of injury – but their depth was on display.

They are also young, with four 14-year-old players.

“This was an important weekend for us,” Rebels head coach Mike Merk said following Sunday’s win. “Coming out with two wins was a big success.

“I know we had the depth to come here and play and give ourselves a chance to win.”

After Regina allowed three quick goals to the Sharks in Sunday’s game to narrow their lead to 4-3, Merk called a timeout to settle down his team.

It worked, although he said not a lot was discussed.

“Just [told them] to settle down and relax,” he said. “I thought we still had control but we started to panic and I just wanted to get the girls relaxed and get them going back out and executing our game plan.”

For the Sharks – an even younger team as they have six 14-year-old players, including both goaltenders – Berggren expects things to come together with time, something he has said since the beginning of the year.

“Right now, we’re playing four ‘D’ because one is hurt, so three of the four have never played AAA before and both goalies are bantam-aged,” Berggren said. “I strongly believe that they will catch up to the game very quickly here and it’s just a matter of time. All of those players are going to be excellent players in this league at some point in time.”

Next weekend has the Sharks travelling to Weyburn to take on the Southern Range Gold Wings in back to back games. Weyburn and the Sharks are the only winless teams in the league.

Weyburn is 0-7-0 and have had more scoring woes than the Sharks, with just five goals in seven games.

“Weybrun is a young team and they work hard,” Berggren said. “We’ll have to be ready.”

Nathan Kanter is battlefordsNOW’s sports reporter and voice of the Battlefords North Stars. He can be reached at Nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca or tweet him @NathanKanter11