Congratulations ladies on a fantastic weekend! 2017 Districts Champs! Hard hat winners for the weekend were Morgan vs Mid State and Katie Hill vs Armstrong.
However, the weekend MVP goes to......the entire team! A coaches hope is that all of the things we have taught fall into place in the biggest game of the season. The Armstrong game was a perfect example of everything coming together at the right time!
Some additional comments:
Goaltending MVP's
Katie Hill
Two shutouts the biggest weekend of the year, what else can we say, amazing weekend. When we broke down in the D-zone you were there to make the key save at the key time. Championship teams are built from the goalie out.
Veronica Heyl
Veno you didn't get anytime between the pipes, but honestly since you have joined the team you have been a great teammate and supportive to your fellow netminder. It means a lot to Katie and the team knowing that you are there for them every game, not just when you are between the pipes.
Defensive MVP's
Charleigh Wagner
You played great this weekend. Your shot was dangerous all weekend, and on net! Huge goal against Armstrong that really helped us steal the momentum. Your second half of the season has been great, you have turned into a different player, confident on the puck and joining the rush and sometimes leading the rush!
Syd Foy
You have been a defensive leader all year, this weekend was no exception. Your leadership and ability to play extended minutes has allowed us to play the style of hockey that we want to play. Your ability to track the puck back when someone gets behind is second to none. You are a difference maker every shift.
Ella Troy
I can probably say just read above here, but you have really taken to the system this year. Your ability to read the play in the neutral zone, just picking off passes and chipping them back in has been amazing. Like Syd, your ability to play confidently in the neutral zone changes the way we play. You are also a great leader for us!
Bailey Loehrke
Great job this weekend Bailey! The best part of your game this weekend was the fact that you just kept the game simple. You shut everyone down 1:1 and your clears were great as well. You have grown so much since the beginning of the year. Adding you to the team has allowed us to have a solid 6 player unit. Your battle level has increased and has made a difference for us as well.
Cassie Fairley
Strong weekend for you as well 22. You did a good job keeping your PIMS down, and honestly the checking minor you got really wasn't a penalty. When I ref, I call it the big train little train scenario. The girl ran into you, big train won. :-). Like I mentioned earlier this year, you have taken a lot of slack for penalties, but your physicality adds an element to the team. It provides a good mix on the back end. We can kill a penalty or two to allow you to be you.
Maddie Earley
Well you were unable to play this weekend, but you were a great teammate to suit up not knowing if you were going to touch the ice or not. We brought you along slow this year to get you used to the way we play the game, and I think you turned a corner in some of the late Tier 1 games we played. You were able to match the speed and your puck movement coming out of the zone has improved drastically. Really looking forward to seeing you hit the ice at Nationals. I know it has to be killing you to watch. I've been there, but I promise you it will give you extra juice to use up at Nationals.
Offensive MVP's
Meghan Callahan
Meghan you were a great teammate and leader all weekend. I know your minutes weren't as high as you would have liked, but you definitely made the most of the time that you got. Your backchecking and physical play against Armstrong showed me that you were a player that was going to do anything the team needed to win. It made a huge difference.
Mackenzie Chan
"Chanimal" you were quietly strong this weekend. The one thing I have noticed about you is that you do a really good job of being at the wrong place at the right time. Let me explain, multiple times this weekend, your ability to read the play allowed you to simply just get in the way of the team. You collided a few times high in the zone a few times that led to easy clears for us, as well as a few times you went to the net and just took up space that created room for your teammates. It makes a difference!
Maddy Kessy
Maddy, I thought you had a strong weekend on the puck. You eliminated your high zone turnovers and I felt you were dangerous every time you touched the puck. You allowed your speed to make a difference all weekend and carried the puck wide simplifying your game.
Morgan Gloeckl
MO your play off the puck this weekend really made a difference. I know in my eyes you should score 2 goals a game, but I felt in the Armstrong game you played to the gameplan perfectly, creating some turnovers and backchecking to support the D at the right times. Your time on the ice made a difference and you were hard to play against.
Sara Lozito
I knew Armstrong was in trouble after your first shift. When "The Lozito Show" is rolling, you are honestly the hardest player to play against that I have seen all year. Your relentless pursuit of the puck has to be exhausting to the other team. You played to the gameplan perfectly in the Armstrong game making it impossible for them to exit the zone cleanly. Great leadership.
Cali Heidenreich
DINO! You were strong all weekend, keeping your game simple, grinding out pucks, getting pucks in, and getting pucks out. It is not the most celebrated role, but the difference it makes in the gameplan is huge. You are turning into the typical undersized player that is just a complete pain to play against. A role that we welcome on this team any day!
Mira Rolin
Missile the thing that I am most proud of is that were able to take our short talk before the Armstrong game and execute it perfectly. Your speed makes a difference on your line and the fact that you always seem to find space in the neutral zone allows use to play that wide open style that we want to play. It was great to see you get rewarded on a play that we have been trying to execute all season, you picked that puck up and just took off - just like - " a Missile"
Jayda Mears
Your puck possession this weekend was outstanding. You add an element of poise to your line that really makes a difference. Several times this weekend you were able to slow the play down when needed. I'm not sure you realize this, but when you do this, it almost always allows us to create an odd man situation. You really keep the defense guessing and it allows your line to play different styles.
Sara Gargasz
Like Mira, I think you were able to execute the things we talked about in our little pregame talk. I am sure that you don't remember, and likely your teammates don't either but, Paul Coffey said something in the video we went to watch that was very important. I personally have always believed this, "for teams to win championships, your best players have to be your best players in the biggest games" I have put a lot of pressure on you to be a consistent threat. You have become that, and you dominated play. My job as the coach is to get you favorable matchups, Armstrong was unable to adjust because you were able to execute on the matchups we created. Great leadership from you as well. That first goal from you changed the game.
Thank you ladies for an outstanding Hockey iQ weekend. We aren't done yet! The journey continues in a few weeks and as coach Gary said in the parking lot. We are in the top 10, we have beaten good teams this year, "Why Not Us?"