The North Division champion, AA Sharks begin the final leg in their quest for a provincial title Wednesday night in North Battleford. (Facebook/U18 AA Northwest Sharks)

By Martin Martinson

Making History

U18 Northwest Sharks take North Division title, advance to provincial final

Mar 20, 2024 | 12:15 PM

The U18 AA Northwest Sharks return to action Wednesday night at the Access Communications Centre, for Game 1 of their best-of-three provincial finals series with the Regina Rebels.

Coming off a franchise-first as Saskatchewan Female Hockey League U18 AA North Division champions, the series marks the final hurdle to a provincial championship, in what’s already been a storybook season for the team.

Overcoming an 0-5 start to the year to finish the regular season second in the North Division and receive a bye in the opening round of the playoffs, the Sharks showed their bite in round two, taking their three-game series with a strong Warman Wildcats team that had held first place for much of the year.

Responding from a 3-1 loss in Game 1, to win Games 2 and 3, the Sharks held the Wildcats to just a single goal in back-to-back 4-1 and 3-1 victories, to advance to the North Final against the top-seeded Prince Albert Foxes.

Falling by a single goal, 4-3 in their opening game with P.A., the Sharks again showed their resiliency to bounce back with two consecutive overtime victories en route to the North Division title.

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Game 2 saw the Sharks take a 4-3 win in thrilling double-overtime fashion to keep their season alive, on a goal scored by Kadence O’Brian off a set-up from the backdoor by captain Mia Weber.

In a winner-take-all Game 3, O’Brian then repeated the feat – this time deflecting a Weber shot from the blue line – for another O.T. winning goal on the series-clincher to deliver the team to the provincial final.

Head coach of the Sharks, Brendan Kramer said if there’s one way to best sum up the team’s season so far it would be their slogan all year, ‘Be relentless, and compete every day.’

“Winning never came easy [early in the season], and I think that built a lot of character and determination, just knowing that we as a team are going to have to earn every point,” Kramer said. “That really got us going, and just before Christmas some things started turning and we started seeing some success with everyone pulling in the same direction. Everybody works together and they’re a super tight group.”

Kramer said now as the team advances to compete for a provincial title against the southern-champion Regina Rebels, they just need to stick with what’s gotten them to this point, the resiliency and will to win.

“It’s going to be a tough series, we know that, and we’re going to have to show up with our best game,” the coach said. “I find our biggest success is when we keep getting pucks on net and creating traffic in front. It might take those greasy garbage goals to win the game, but they count the same as the pretty ones at the end of the night.”

Game 1 of the provincial finals series Wednesday, will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The full provincial finals schedule can be found below:

Game 1: Wed., Mar. 20 Regina Rebels @ NW Sharks at ACC, North Battleford (7:30 p.m.)

Game 2: Fri., Mar. 22 NW Sharks @ Regina Rebels at Murray Balfour Arena, Regina (7:30 p.m.)

*Game 3: Sun., Mar. 24 Regina Rebels @ NW Sharks at ACC, North Battleford (5:30 p.m.)

*If needed

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On X: @MartyMartyPxP1