The Saugeen Maitland Midget ‘AA’ Lightning claimed the silver medal at the Ontario Provincial Championships in the Midget ‘AA’ division, the pinnacle for women’s hockey for 15-, 16- and 17-year-olds. The tournament took place from April 9 to 12.
The Lightning started the tournament Thursday evening with a 3-0 win over division rivals, the Guelph Junior Gryphons.
Lexi Smith opened the scoring with helpers from Taylor MacDonald and Brooke Schroeder. Madison Davey then scored from Kelsey Dixon and Natalie Nixon. Smith then closed out the scoring with assists granted to MacDonald and Cassidy Mason. Rebecca Ropp was strong in net, stopping all Guelph shots to earn the shutout.
The Bolts faced the Etobicoke Dolphins Friday afternoon and came up on the short end of a 2-1 score, despite out shooting their opponents nearly 2-1.
Neve VanPelt scored the only goal for the Lightning, with helpers going to Avery Reeves and Maddie Duncan.
In the third game of the round-robin, the Lightning needed a win to advance further in the tournament.
The Bolts showed their true colours, posting a 2-1 victory over the Thunder Bay Queens to claim first in their pool and a spot in the play-off round. Hannah Herman scored from the point on a power-play from defense partner Erin Near and Smith. Mason bulged the twine shortly after with assists to Jocelyn Ballantyne and Smith.
Saturday afternoon the Lightning played the Ottawa Ice in the first elimination game of the tournament playoff winning 3-1.
Kaitlyn Chagnon was solid in net, only getting beat once late in the game on an Ottawa power play. Katie Heath opened the scoring in the first period with assists from VanPelt and Reeves. Smith scored her third of the tournament early in the third period with helpers from Ballantyne and Near.
MacDonald closed out the scoring for the Lightning, potting a goal on the power play from Dixon and Davey.
The win meant the Bolts would face the Oakville Hornets in the quarter finals. They prevailed with a 2-1 win in the first period of overtime.
Avery Reeves scored the first two of her clutch goals, the first in the second period to tie the game from Heath and Duncan and her second in the first overtime period on a long lead pass from MacDonald.
Ropp stood on her head in the Lightning net, giving her team a chance to complete the comeback in overtime.
On Sunday the Bolts played the Sault Ste. Marie Wildcats in the semi-finals.
VanPelt opened the scoring in the first period from Near and Herman, but the Wildcats took the lead and held it until late in the third.
Reeves scored with just 45 seconds left in regulation, the last goal until eight overtime periods later when Reeves scored again to give the Lightning the win and a berth in the gold medal game. VanPelt, Heath and Near assisted on the two Reeves’ goals.
Chagnon made some key saves in the overtime periods to give the Lightning a chance for the win.
The Sudbury Wolves handed the Bolts a 4-1 loss in the tournament final. MacDonald scored the only goal for the Lightning in the final.
This group of girls represented Mid-Western Ontario with great talent and hard work and were known as a team that no one wanted to face in an elimination game, team officials said.
