SAHA drops three close games over weekend showcase

By Medicine Hat News on January 11, 2022.

South Alberta Hockey Academy’s U18 female prep squad left the ice without a victory after three close battles in its weekend showcase at the Big Marble Go Centre.

After falling 3-1 to the Northern Alberta Xtreme Friday, SAHA rebounded and managed to take St. Mary’s into overtime before falling 3-2 Saturday. On Sunday, SAHA battled out another close game but ultimately fell again in a 2-1 loss to Edge School.

Alyssa McCasey scored SAHA’s only goal Friday, while Maddy Ferguson put up a wall with 33 stops but NAX struck for back-to-back goals in the third to steal away the victory.

SAHA went on to erase a two-goal deficit Saturday, with goals from Kendal Davidson and Brianna Finke to force overtime, but St. Mary’s Presleigh Giesbrecht scored 17 seconds into sudden death to skate away with the victory.

Devyn Amundson stopped 34 shots to keep SAHA in the game, while Tea Pearce assisted on both of SAHA’s goals.

The trend of close games continued into Sunday, but again SAHA came up just short on home ice.

Kalei Johnston scored midway through the first period to tie up a 1-1 game, but Edge took over a lead late in the second and SAHA was unable to get anything else past opposing goaltender Farah Walker, who stopped 18 shots to hang on for the win.

Ferguson was in net for SAHA, stopping 28 shots in the loss.

The weekend puts SAHA at 4-9-0 on the Canadian Sport School Hockey League season. They’ll host Edge for a rematch on Sunday at noon in the Go Centre.