The netminders of the Battlefords AAA Sharks had their hands more than full against the Notre Dame Hounds on the weekend in Saskatchewan Female Midget AAA Hockey League action.
Sharks goaltenders Hannah Brock and Jacy Akre together stopped an incredible 61 and 74 shots in each game against Notre Dame. That was the good news.
Unfortunately, Notre Dame also fired an additional 21 shots their way, all of which went into the net as the Hounds swept the two games by scores of 12-0 and 9-0 respectively.
It was the usual hard-working effort for the Sharks, but they were no match for the undefeated Hounds who remain atop the league with 14 wins and no losses. The Sharks are 0-15-2.
Having a field day against the Sharks was Hounds scorer Olivia Howe, who currently leads the scoring race in the SFMAAAHL with 26 goals and 14 assists. She came away with back-to-back hat tricks against the Sharks on the weekend.
In the first game Saturday, Howe notched assists on each one of Taylor Woods' three goals during the first period, as the Hounds built a 3-0 lead.
Howe then scored three goals of her own in the second. Courtenay Jacklin, Kelty Apperson and Julia Flinton also scored for the Hounds and it was 9-0 after two.
Both teams gave every indication of wanting the game to be quickly over with in the third period. Howe got one more assist, this time on Jennifer More's goal, before scoring twice more for a nine-point evening to wrap up the scoring.
Jacy Akre stopped 26 of 32 shots while Hannah Brock stopped 35 of 41. Laura Wiebe posted the shutout for the Hounds.
In the second game Sunday afternoon it was more of the same as the Sharks fell 9-0. This time Howe scored the first three goals in the first period. The Hounds outshot the Sharks an incredible 29-0 in that first period.
Daniella Matteucci and Brittany Berisoff scored in the second, while in the third the Sharks ran into some penalty trouble and it was Matteucci again, Woods, Morgan Spencer-Lang and Alyssa Threadkell to round out the scoring.
Overall, the Battlefords were outshot 83-7 on the day. Brock stopped 63 of 72 shots while Akre, on a positive note for the Sharks, stopped all 11 shots she faced in relief late in the third period.
With the best team in the league firmly in the Sharks' rear view mirror, the team hopes for better luck on the road against Prince Albert Dec. 18.
