Photo Credit: Denis Villebrun (Hockey Dad Photography)
Over the February 14th and 15th weekend, the Soo U18 AA Greyhound Girls hit the road for a challenging slate of four exhibition games, travelling south to test themselves against some of the top U18 programs from across Ontario. The weekend featured matchups with the Central York Panthers, Markham Stouffville Stars, and the Caledon Coyotes, providing the Greyhounds with high-level competition and valuable experience.
Action opened on Friday, February 14 at 12:15 p.m, as the Greyhounds faced the Central York Panthers. Despite a determined effort, the Soo was held to a single goal and dropped a 6–1 decision. Later that day at 5:30 p.m, the Greyhounds rebounded with a strong performance on home ice against the Markham Stouffville Stars, earning a solid 3–6 result in a fast-paced and physical contest.
The weekend continued on Saturday, February 15, with an early 11:00 a.m matchup against the Caledon Coyotes. In a tightly contested game, the Greyhounds pushed the Coyotes to the limit before falling by a narrow 3–2 score. The Soo closed out the road trip later that afternoon at 3:45 p.m with a second meeting against the Markham Stouffville Stars, battling hard but ultimately coming up short in a 4–2 final.
Greyhound coach Jenna Buck told Saultsports that “a lot of positives from this weekend as we see the girls continue to push and compete with highly ranked teams in OWHA. It took us a bit to find our bearings in the first game but the girls continued to show determination and grit as they fought to lessen the gap in the score. We saw the girls come out strong in our next two games, leading the games by getting on the scoreboard first against Markham and Caledon. Throughout all four games the girls showed determination, grit and competitiveness as we battled through injuries and illnesses.”
“We will continue to focus on bringing that level of competition and resiliency to our upcoming games during the Deb Sims Memorial Tournament. If we can narrow in on our discipline in the games and find some more consistency throughout all three periods, there’s no doubt that our team will make it a weekend to remember,” said coach Jenna Buck.
The exhibition series provided the Greyhounds with a valuable measuring stick against elite provincial opponents as they continue their development and preparation for postseason play. Next action for the Soo U18 AA Greyhound Girls comes over the February 28 to March 1 weekend, when they will take part in a showcase alongside the U22 Sudbury Lady Wolves at the Deb Sims Memorial Tournament. Game times are set for February 28 at 3:00 p.m and 8:00 p.m, followed by an 11:00 a.m start on March 1. All games will be played at the Northern Community Centre.
