The first round of the U13 playoff series between Cote and Canora definitely kept goal judges busy. After the first two games were split, Cote won the following mini-game to take the series.
In all, the teams combined for a total of 57 goals.
The score at the end of Game 1 of the series on March 14 in Cote looked more like a football game than a hockey game at 13-10, with Cote coming out on top. It was a sign of things to come. Canora led 2-1 after the first period, but then the floodgates opened and both offences really went to work. Cote outscored the Cobras 12-8 over the final two periods.
Walker Wolkowski led the Canora offence with six goals, while Rowyn Johnson wasn’t far behind, contributing three goals and two assists. The other goal came off the stick of Ryea Harper. Shiloh Leson added a pair of assists, with singles coming from Paisley Wolkowski, Kaelyn Shukin, Tessica Mydonick and Reein Godhe.
Special teams were a big factor in the outcome of the game. The Cobras went scoreless on the power play, while Cote scored three times in four power play opportunities.
According to Dwayne Wolkowski, one of the Canora coaches, a factor in the game may have been that the Cobras hadn’t played since February 22.
“We were a bit rusty,” said Wolkowski. “It was a back-and-forth game with lots of scoring, they got the better of us. We didn’t come out to play hard enough. They have some good hockey players.”
Game 2 in Canora on March 16 was a different story, as the Cobras came out flying and built an 11-3 lead by the middle of the second period. After that the teams traded goals for the most part, with a final score of 18-11 for Canora.
Since each team had one victory, the series went to a 10-minute mini-game in an effort to decide the winner. Canora scored first and things looked promising. But Cote scored the next three goals and held on for a 3-2 victory and the series win.
Including the regular game and the min-game, Walker Wolkowski lit up the scoreboard with 10 goals. Kaelyn Shukin was the top playmaker with 5 assists, and also scored a goal. Other goal scorers were: Reein Godhe with four, Declan Friesen with two, and singles came from Rowyn Johnson, Ryea Harper and Tessica Mydonick, who also added three assists. Other assists came from: Declan Friesen (three), Shiloh Leson (three), Emmett Demchuk, and Reein Godhe.
Ty Northrop was the Canora goalie throughout the series.
Coach Wolkowski said home ice made a big difference for his team.
“We started strong and the fans definitely helped with that. We wanted it a bit more in the previous game, and everybody realized we had to work hard.”
After their high scoring games against Cote during the regular season, Wolkowski said the offensive explosion during the series didn’t really surprise him.
After the series loss, the Cobras now move to the consolation side of the playoffs where Moosomin Red provides the next opponent in the battle for the F Banner.
