Sharks end season on a high with OT win

“Against P.A., we know we’re going to have to score goals because they’re going to score goals,” he said. “Their power play is very good and we need to stay out of the box, but at the same time we know goals are going to happen.

“Just to have that confidence that we know that we can put the puck in the net, that’s going to carry us through our playoff games.”

Another area that is going to be important is the mismatch on defence, as the Northern Bears have many veterans on their blue line, which the Sharks simply don’t have.

The Sharks have played just four defenceman for most of the season and two of them are bantam aged. But Berggren offered his vote of confidence.

“They’ve played so well this season, our defence, that I think when the playoffs start here that they’re going to step up,” he said. “They won’t show their age in these games.”

Battlefords finishes the regular season with a 5-19-2-2 record.

All in all, Berggen said the team has gotten much better since day one.

“I was expecting a few more wins over the course of the season but I’m happy with how the girls have progressed and how as a team we’ve gotten better,” he said.

This past weekend got off to a poor start when Swift Current grabbed a 3-1 lead in the first period of Saturday’s game. After two, they were up 5-1.

“When we first went down there, our first couple periods, we had trouble stopping one of their players but once we figured that out then we definitely played with them,” Berggren said of the league’s leading scorer Taylor Lind. “We changed our systems so that we were focusing more on her and then in the last four periods we shut her down pretty good.”

Lind managed five points in Saturday’s win for Swift Current, but just two in the Sharks win on Sunday.

After making the in-game adjustment of focusing on Lind, the Sharks were able to overcome that 5-1 deficit in the third period on Saturday. Ali Aitken, Jordan Kulbida, Alyssa Roach, and Maya Tupper scored back-to-back-to-back-to-back goals in the third period to tie the game 5-5. Tupper’s game-tying-goal came with just 21 seconds left in the game.

“It was really exciting to come back,” Berggren said. “In overtime, we took a penalty that was kind of a border line call that they hadn’t been calling all game so that was a bit frustrating.”

That power play is when Janessa Fournier scored for the home side with her second of the game and 16th of the season.

“To stop Swift Current on the power play, they’re tough,” Berggren said. “Especially 4-on-3 [when] there’s so much room out there.”

On Sunday, it was Ensley Fendelet of the Sharks who played hero, scoring the overtime winner as time was about to wind down on the first overtime period. It was her eighth goal of the season.

That goal also came on a man advantage.

“I guess the hockey gods were with us there,” Berggren joked. “We got our revenge.”

Chantel Weller also played a key role in Sunday’s win, stopping 33 of 35 shots, including 19 in the second period alone. The scoresheet said Battlefords was outshot 20-2 in the second period.

“[Weller] really was standing tall and played really for us in both games,” Berggen said. “I’m not sure what’s going on with the league in their shots on goal and who’s doing it but it seems like everywhere we go they’re a little bit off.”

Nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca

@NathanKanter11

by Nathan Kanter

Sharks end season on a high with OT win

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