This is a hard one to write this evening, so many mixed emotions. On one hand so proud of our entire hockey team for having such a great season but on the other so disappointed with how the final game went. The Tommies never stopped fighting for even a minute but it wasn't enough to pull out one last victory for our 5th year seniors.
If there was one thing you could point a finger at and say "that did in the Tommies", it was the powerplay. St. Thomas played one full period when you add it all up with the extra attacker and failed to score. Perhaps this should come as no surprise, or perhaps it should but the team has not scored a powerplay marker since January 13th versus MTA. Over a full month of futility, ouch.
The game got off on the wrong foot in the first minute for STU. Saint Mary's Katilyn Abbass came in on Julia Shaurn and fired the puck off of her before it bounced out to a waiting Rebecca Mosher to pot the only goal of the opening two periods only 20 seconds into the game.
The Huskies - true to their reputation statistically speaking - started to lay the body and enforce a physical presence against the Tommies. It resulted in a steady stream of SMU players to the penalty box, which in retrospect, didn't seem to bother the Huskies. After one period STU outshot SMU 9 to 7 and after two periods 20 to 10.
The third period saw the Tommies come out strong and hard but with no success beating Sienna Cooke in the Huskies net. SMU would get an insurance goal on the powerplay at 5:50 when Brianna Soper sniped a top corner gino past a helpless Julia Sharun.
The Tommies rallied late when Jordan Miller (Blackmore, Marcelline) got STU on the board with 2:25 to play. There was hope and St. Thomas continued to press but ultimately could not find the equalizer. The Huskies scored into the empty net with 11 seconds remaining to sink any hope of the comeback.
Final shots on goal were 37 to 15 for the Tommies.
It was a successful season overall with the Tommies having more wins than they ever have, being nationally ranked for the first time in team history, and finishing the season higher in the standings than ever before.
Thank you to St. Thomas' all-time leading point producer in Kayla Blackmore, to super D-Woman Courtney Fox, and an incredible keeper in Julia Sharun. You guys have been amazing and it has been a pleasure to follow you for all these years. I am so going to miss you. Such great talents. All the best in everything you do and I don't need to see a banner to know that each one of you are Champions, you are to me and to many other Tommie fans.
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