The Calgary Oval X-Treme won 2-1 against the Minnesota Whitecaps this afternoon at the Olympic Oval, giving the team a much needed win to remain league leaders of the Western Women’s Hockey League (WWHL).
“I wish every game was like this,” commented X-Treme Head Coach Bjorn Kinding. “This was a very important win and it is nice to play a very evenly matched team.”
The Calgary Oval X-Treme have only two losses this season, while the Whitecaps now have three, putting the X-Treme in the lead for points.
“We definitely have close games when we play Minnesota,” said X-Treme defence Tessa Bonhomme. “Many of their players are on the American National Team, so we knew this game would be 60 minutes of hard work.”
Bonhomme scored the first goal of the game with an assist from Carla MacLeod.
“Piper took a shot on net, with a nice save from their goalie. Then Carla took the puck and was able to walk to the middle. I was able to put it in from there,” described Bonhomme. “My back was to the goalie, so I wasn’t sure if it went in, but I saw Carla celebrate, so I knew I had a goal.”
Bonhomme, who was part of Team Canada’s gold medal team at the 2007 IIHF World Championships, was named player of the game for the X-Treme for her goal and assisting on the second goal of the game.
Olympic medalist Cherie Piper earned her 13th regular season goal, scoring with less than five minutes to go in the third period. Gina Kingsbury, a Canadian Olympian, also assisted.
The Minnesota Whitecaps have 11 U.S.A. National Team players on their roster; seven were part of tonight’s team. Also on the Whitecap roster is former NHL goalie and Canadian Olympic silver medalist Manon Rheaume. She dressed but did not play in net tonight. She will be the team’s goaltender for Sunday morning’s game (stats at 8:30 a.m. at the Olympic Oval).
The X-Treme roster of just 16 players includes National Team players Bonhomme and Delaney Collins and five Canadian Olympians; Gina Kingsbury, Colleen Sostorics, Gillian Ferrari, Carla MacLeod and Cherie Piper.
The lone Minnesota goal was scored by American National Team player Molly Engstrom, assisted by fellow National Teammate Jenny Potter.
Minnesota and Calgary will play again on Sunday, Jan. 25 starting at 8:30 a.m. Tickets can be purchased before or on game day at the Olympic Oval front desk; adults $8, children $4.
The Calgary Oval X-Treme hockey club are six time league champions and one of four high performance sport programs at the Olympic Oval. For more details visit www.oval.ucalgary.ca.
