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Sharks routed by Bears

Jan 26, 2017 | 11:00 AM

The Battlefords AAA Sharks lost a tough game on Wednesday evening, falling 10-2 to the Prince Albert Northern Bears on the road.

The loss was their fourth straight to Prince Albert this season.

“It was exactly what it said: 10-2,” Sharks head coach Gary Berggren said on Thursday morning. “We came out flat. We gave them four easy goals to start. We didn’t play well all around the board. We had maybe a few players who were working hard and the rest took the night off.

“There weren’t very many positives. It was a tough go all the way around.”

The Sharks were outshot 42-21, including 20-6 in the first period.

Ensley Fendelet and Jessie Herner had the goals for the Sharks.

Berggren said Fendelet was one of the few players who showed up.

“I thought Ensley Fendelet played really well and Dakota Peterson had a good game, but it was a tough go for the rest of the group,” he said. “It was a tough night. We couldn’t get anything going. D-zone coverage wasn’t working and our power play, penalty kill wasn’t [either]. Everybody was just a step behind and not thinking.”

Part of the reason for the off-night, according to Berggren, could be the fact that exams are wrapping up this week.

“I think…the girls heads weren’t in hockey,” Berggren said. “They were thinking about school and thinking about studying. We’ve had players missing practice because of studying and the ones that are coming, they’re not coming prepared to practice and not coming ready to play and same thing for the game.”

Because of school priorities, goaltender Chantel Weller did not dress for the game, meaning a third goalie, Daneka Dickson, dressed as the backup.

Dickson came in relief for Chloe Burt in the third period and stopped nine of 10 shots she faced.

“She played really well,” Berggren said of Dickson’s third period performance. “It was nice to see a player that did come and step up for us.”

Battlefords has two home games on the weekend against the third-place Melville Prairie Fire.

Exams wrap up Friday so Berggren said he hopes they’re ready to go for Saturday and Sunday’s games.

 

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