Colton plays hero in home-opener

Mounties win first home game in dramatic fashion.

Shelby Colton was the hero for the Women’s Mountie Hockey team as they were able to rebound from their 7-4 loss to the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) with a 1-0 overtime win over the Moncton Aigles Bleus. Mackenzie Lalonde was able to take the puck into the zone, where it was put in front of the goal by Jennifer Bell, who passed it to Colton. She made no mistake in putting the puck past goalie Emilie Bouchard with ten seconds remaining on the clock. It closed down a hard earned victory for the Mounties as the game was extremely tight with no teams wanting to make the crucial mistake, by giving up the go-ahead goal.

Mounties Coach Zach Ball was extremely impressed with the Womens’ intensity after their loss to the UPEI Panthers. The Mounties were able to improve on their thirteen shot effort on Saturday, putting twenty-six shots on Emilie Bouchard. Bouchard single-handedly kept the Aigles Bleus in the game. It was a defensive affair with a lot of blocked shots, as both teams struggled to find a way to the goal.

Going into the third period, the shot totals were only 14-7 for the Mounties. Coach Ball focused on the positives through the third period, and kept the women in high spirits, despite their lack of offensive success.

The Mounties needed a spark, and it came from first-year player Jennifer Bell. Her aggressive fore-checking, and quick speed down the ice made her a nuisance in Moncton’s zone. Bell then set up the winning goal in overtime.

“She is an unbelievable fore-checker,” Coach Ball said of Bell, “anybody that sees her coming down on them is scared, and rightfully so. [Bell] has a very effective shot, and we will continue to use her in the penalty killing situations.” The Mounties started the season with a great penalty kill with their first two games: The women have killed off six of seven power plays, effectively keeping the puck in their opponents’ ends.

Third-year starter Kate O’Brien earned the shutout for the Mounties, making eighteen saves. O’Brien remained in focus for the entirety of the game, and made key saves when she was needed the most.

The Mounties will go on a road trip this weekend as they are headed for Halifax on Friday to take on the Dalhousie Tigers. They will then head to Fredericton to take on the St. Thomas University Tommies on Sunday. The Mounties’ next home affair will be on November 2 at 7 pm, when the Women take on the Saint Mary’s Huskies.

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