The St. Albert Slash midget AAA female hockey team is still on cloud nine after beating the Saskatoon Stars 2-1 in a nail–biter for the Esso Cup over the weekend.
The gold medal win in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, makes the Slash the first team to repeat as national champions, a feat their coach says is still sinking in.
“It’s phenomenal, I can’t believe it,” said head coach Dan Auchenberg, who said he feels like a proud father.
“It’s been unbelievable. It’s been a sweet ride.”
But it wasn’t a smooth ride. The Slash, members of the St. Alberta Raiders Hockey Club, had to overcome a 4-1 loss to the Saskatoon Stars early in the round robin part of the tournament last week.
The St. Albert Slash are the 2018 Esso Cup Champions. (McKenzie Hewett)
“It was good that we came out on top for the first part of the game there and then got a little bit of excitement and a little more positivity, ” said Meropoulis who finished the game with a goal and an assist.
That excitement turned to jubilation after second-year player, 17-year-old Madison Willan put away the game winner early on in the second period.
Saskatoon scored one to narrow the gap, but St. Albert locked it down from there to seal their second consecutive national title.
“It’s a totally different game when it gets to the final,” Willan said.
Mayhem breaks out on the Slash bench at the final buzzer. (McKenzie Hewett)
“I’m still kind of processing it, it’s an unbelievable feeling, ” said McKenzie Hewett, 18, who played her final game for St. Albert and will be joining the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs next year on full scholarship.
“We were all really close, all really good friends,” Hewett said. “I think that helped us build a bond. We wanted to win for each other and we wanted to win for Dan and the rest of the coaching staff.”
The team visits the sights of Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, during the Esso Cup.
“McKenzie Hewett, she brought a presence to this table that a lot of girls respected, just her hard work, her skill level, her smarts. She’s such a 200-foot player; she plays the game so well; she just plays the game right,” he said.
Auchenberg said the team has a lot of character, with many quiet leaders.
”Meropoulis always comes to the table. When it means something she’s there; Madi Willan’s there; Camryn Drever’s there every time. I can go on and on. They have the passion to win.”