Battlefords Sharks 2-0 through two games at the Calgary Firestarter

“In Game 1, I felt Rocky Mountain got frustrated. They tried to beat us up the rink and everything like that. We responded well and played for each other,” he said.

“Obviously, we took care of things offensively, but away from the puck, we killed extremely well and looked after our own end.”

In the first game, 15-year-old goaltender Baya Summers made 25 saves on 26 shots, a performance that impressed Horbach.

“It’s a big adjustment moving from U15 to U18, and she’s responded extremely well. You just see her getting more confident, and even the connection with our defence is growing. Our players have confidence in her.”

Offensively, Poole and Weber have led the way. With Danika Dureau and Anneka Aspaas having graduated, Horbach is happy to see the pair step up as leaders.

“Sometimes you forget that they’re not third-year players. They’re in their second year, but they’ve stepped up in a big way, taking the team and saying, ‘We’re going to help you get to where you want to go,'” Horbach said.

“The impressive piece is they understand it doesn’t have to be just them. It’s how they’re getting their chances and their goals. They’re contributing and making plays happen. When they get a chance, they’re finishing it.”

Although Horbach is happy with those players’ performances, he also praised the entire team’s effort from top to bottom.

“The plays that have led to those goals have been impressive, and everyone’s had a contributing part in that. It’s probably better than we expected. The scenarios that we’re being put in and how we’re responding to each test have been the most impressive part.”

The Sharks’ second win, against SAHA, came after they lost an exhibition game to the academy last year. Asked whether the Sharks played with a chip on their shoulder, Horbach said they were more prepared this time.

“We knew what we were up against, and I think that helped us kind of go into a great mindset as to what it was going to take to win. I love the fact that we had to compete and we earned everything and we’re ready to go.”

As the Sharks move forward in the tournament, Horbach wants his squad to maintain its strong defensive play.

“Trying to shut teams down early and being really good in our own end, that’s just allowing us to create opportunities going the other way,” he said.

“Our defence has done an incredible job of shutting teams down and keeping them to the outside, which allows our forwards to transition quickly. If we continue to focus on the little details in our own end, we’ll be good.”

The Sharks will look to finish the round-robin stage undefeated when they take on the Edmonton Jr. Oilers on Saturday.

—

Ryan.Lambert@pattisonmedia.com

by Ryan Lambert

Battlefords Sharks 2-0 through two games at the Calgary Firestarter

What's Trending