A clean sweep of the Esso Cup has the U18 national title heading back to Ontario.
The Durham West Lightning capped an undefeated week on the ice with a 4-1 triumph over the Fraser Valley Rush on May 22 at Pason Centennial Arena to earn their first Esso Cup U18 AAA female hockey national title in team history.
“Our team has so much heart,” said Lightning forward Sadie Hotles, the tournament’s MVP. “We’ve always been the hardest working no matter what so I knew when it came down to it what happens.
“We just decided that we needed this week to happen.”
Durham, which had a previous best bronze medal at the 2017 nationals, outscored its opposition 35-11 over the seven-day tournament to cap a brilliant season for the Ontario Region champions.
“It means everything to me,” said Lightning netminder Sophie Helfenstein, the player of the game in the final. “I’ve been on this team for three years and with (the pandemic) I never got the chance to come to the Esso Cup so this is absolutely amazing for me.
“We’re so excited for this performance and we’re so excited to take it home and show everyone in Ontario.”
In the final, the Lightning struck first with blueliner Courtney Poelman’s seeing eye point shot finding its way into the back of the net late in the opening frame.
Zoe Ziotas doubled the advantage in the middle stanza off a cross crease feed from linemate Kaileigh Quigg. The other member of the forward trio Ella Inglis then made it a two-goal advantage off a wicked shot on the powerplay midway through the third.
Fraser Valley blueliner Aynsley D’Ottavio broke the shutout bid with just under seven minutes left in regulation as she rushed up ice and poked in a wrap-around past Helfenstein, who made 27 saves on 28 shots.
“She saved us so many times,” Hotles said. “I don’t even know how to explain it, she’s such a good goalie, she’s been like this all year round and we know we can trust her no matter what.
“She’s been a big part of that confidence.”
Hotles iced the result with an empty-netter with 2:34 left in regulation.
The Lightning stuck to superstitions with its pre-game routine, with warm-ups in the same spot, and did its best to treat it is a normal game day despite the pressure cooker of a national final.
For Helfenstein, routine helped guide her through the gold medal match.
“My routine is something that really gets me in the mood and when I do that I have confidence in my abilities,” Helfenstein said.
“I have this crazy superstition where if I think about winning I say three words one way and then the other way to kind of neutralize the jinx.
“Honestly, that helps.”
Hotles, a 2006-born skater, finished with a tournament best 10 assists and 17 points.
“It’s all been a team effort throughout,” Hotles said. “Especially my linemates Jessica Pellerin and Kylie Logan, we’ve had such a good season so far, us three together. We’ve been putting up points all year round and I think that’s really helped our chemistry and really helped me get to this point too.”
The Lightning, who took the opening meeting between the teams by a 5-2 count, thundered to a preliminary best 5-0 record with the Rush speeding to a mark of 2-2-1 in round-robin.
In semifinal action, the Rush chased the Notre Dame Hounds in a tight 3-1 affair led by Vienna Rubin and Solana Cooper’s one goal, one assist performances while Durham blanked Nova Scotia’s Northern Selects 4-0 on the strength of Helfenstein’s 14-save shutout.
Following the final, the players expressed their gratitude for everyone who made the national tournament in Okotoks a reality.
“It was remarkable,” Helfenstein said. “A lot of people would like to be in this position and we are one of the very few teams of Ontario who get the chance to play in a different province, take a plane and it was just so professional here.
“I loved it.”
The 2022 championship ends a run of three straight titles from the Alberta representatives with the St. Albert Slash winning the three-most recent nationals from 2017-19. Ontario last won the title in 2015.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Hotles added. “And we’re super excited to bring it back home.
“This was one hundred per cent the best experience of my life. I’ve been in so many tournaments, so many provincials, but nothing has compared to this.”
News and Notes… Durham blueliner Abigayle Poitras was named Top Defence, Fraser Valley’s Vienna Rubin earned Top Forward honours with 7 goals and 9 points in the preliminary round, Notre Dame netminder Eva Flippova earned the Top Goaltender nod with a 1.78 goals against average and .923 save percentage in round-robin and Prince Albert Bear Sophia Zuck was named Most Sportsmanlike.
