2016 Esso Cup

RAIDERS PICK UP SECOND WIN; STARS DROP FIRST

WENDY GRAVES

Weyburn, Sask. – Goals from Paige Russell (Strathmore, Alta.), Kennedy Moore (Chestermere, Alta.) and Megan Campbell (Cochrane, Alta.) lifted the Rocky Mountain Raiders past the previously unbeaten Saskatoon Stars on Tuesday afternoon.

Kennedy Brown (Okotoks, Alta.) contributed a pair of assists, and goaltender Kate Lloyd (Chestermere, Alta.) made 22 saves for the win.

Mackenna Parker (Clavet, Sask.) scored the lone goal for Saskatoon. Emma Johnson (Saskatoon, Sask.) stopped 21 of 24 shots in the loss.

Saskatoon dictated pace early – and had an early power play to try and convert the extra jump it had – but could register only two shots on net through the opening half of the first period.

Meanwhile, Rocky Mountain was limited to uneven rushes into the offensive zone, often going one-on-three against the Stars’ defenders.

The direction of the game changed nearly 11 minutes in, when the Stars were called for a pair of minor penalties 19 seconds apart. The Raiders capitalized on the two-man advantage, Russell spinning home a backhand from the slot.

Rocky Mountain doubled the lead less than three minutes later. Kara Kondrat (Cochrane, Alta.) threw the puck out from below the goal line. Brown redirected the puck across the ice to Moore, who left alone at the side of the net put in the rebound.

The Raiders finished the period with an 11-3 advantage in shots on net.

It was more of the same in the second: Saskatoon came out jumping; Rocky Mountain weathered the initial storm and turned the tide.

It took only 4:29 this time. A trio of Raiders had multiple cracks at a loose puck down low, with Campbell being the one to convert.

The Stars hit two posts in the period, but their best chance to get on the board came with Hannah Matchett (Nanton, Alta.) and Hailey McCallum (Strathmore, Alta.) serving concurrent minor penalties. The Raiders killed off the two-man disadvantage to maintain their three-goal lead heading into the second intermission.

Parker broke up Lloyd’s shutout bid with 8:26 to play in the third. She carried the puck out from around the net, and then given space to trace around the face-off circle, moved in and beat Lloyd clean with a wrist shot.