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Tri-Port Midget Wild push win streak to 8-0-1 with shutout win over Grizzlies

The Tri-Port Wild posted a 10-2-2 record this season, with 55 Goals For and only 24 Goals Against
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TYSON WHITNEY PHOTO Bree-Anna Henderson (#10) scored a natural hat trick against the Juan De Fuca Grizzlies on Sunday, which was her second hat trick in two games, giving her 28 goals on the season (including three tournaments).

The Tri-Port Midget Wild stormed through the Doug Bondue Arena in Port Alice last Saturday, making a statement that they are the top team in their division, by laying a beatdown on the Nanaimo Clippers.

The Wild wasted no time getting going once the puck was dropped, with Taylor Ranger scoring in front of the net off a scramble at 14:05 of the first period, which was assisted by Mandy Foldy and captain Kerrigan Sharpe.

The Clippers tried their hardest to battle back, but were unable to generate any real offence due to the Wild’s strong defensive core (Madison Van Will, Foldy and Chloe Noel), who managed to hold the Clippers to roughly 10-15 shots over the three periods of league play.

It continued to be all Wild from that point on, as sniper Bree-Anna Henderson stole the puck, skated in and unleashed a huge shot from the circle, firing it past the Clippers’ goaltender Abby Stewart at 8:13 to make it 2-0.

Sharpe then got on the score sheet at 5:42 thanks to a beautiful wrist shot, and then she found the twine again off another wrist shot with 4:00 left on the clock, making it 4-0.

In the second period, the Clippers’ Elissa Benjamin drove hard to the Wild’s net and had a few good chances to put her team on the scoreboard, but Wild goaltender Avary Miller stood her ground, making the clutch saves when they mattered the most.

Jessica Wadhams then converted off a big slapshot through traffic at 12:04, assisted by Foldy, and after that it was assistant captain Mackenzie Murgatroyd who found the back of the net at 8:54, giving her team a 6-0 lead.

However, the Wild refused to quit pouring on the offensive pressure just yet, as Van Will broke in on an offensive rush and deked around Stewart, sliding the puck in with 3:00 left in the period.

The third featured more of the same.

Henderson found the back of the net twice off two more slapshots to complete the hat trick, giving her 25 goals on the season, before the blowout game mercifully came to an end 9-0.

The Wild were officially back in action this past weekend, and were supposed to play games against the Sooke Thunderbirds and the Juan De Fuca Grizzlies, but a strange occurence at the Seaparc Arena caused their game on Saturday against the Thunderbirds to be cancelled.

“The Sooke game was cancelled as the power went out,” said Tri-Port Female Minor Hockey Coordinator Lisa Brown. “We’re still waiting to hear back (from VIAHA) how this will be managed.”

With the Wild currently neck and neck with the Campbell River Hurricanes for first place in the VIAHA Midget Girls division, the team knew they needed a win when they faced off against the Grizzlies on Sunday, and they were ready to make another statement and add another notch to their epic win streak.

This game was only slightly different than their previous one against the Clippers.

Henderson scored a natural hat trick to start things off on the right foot (which put her at 28 goals on the season), with assists going to Murgatroyd, Kaitlyn Wilson and Foldy.

After that, Ranger, Wadhams, and Sharpe (x2) all found the back of the net (assists going to Van Will, Sonja Walkus, and Murgatroyd) to give the Wild a huge 7-0 shutout victory.

All told, the Wild have posted a 10-2-2 record this season, with 55 Goals For and only 24 Goals Against, with Miller recording five shutout victories in league play.

The North Island Gazette will keep you updated on whether the game against the Thunderbirds will be rescheduled before playoffs start up in March.

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TYSON WHITNEY PHOTO Jessica Wadhams scored her second goal in two games against the Juan De Fuca Grizzlies on Sunday.


Tyson Whitney

About the Author: Tyson Whitney

I have been working in the community newspaper business for nearly a decade, all of those years with Black Press Media.
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