Game Report 709 Esso Cup
PLAYED AT: Gateway Ice Centre
Date: Apr 24, 2014
GAME NOTES: POZNIKOFF WINS IT FOR THUNDER by Wendy Graves STONEY CREEK, Ont. – The math was simple, really: claim a point and claim a spot in the semifinals. Mission accomplished. Alexandra Poznikoff (Edmonton, Alta.) scored 4:21 into overtime and the Edmonton Thunder defeated the Stoney Creek Sabres 4-3 on Thursday night in the final game of the preliminary round of the 2014 Esso Cup. “Luckily, we got a good chip and I could just skate in,” said Poznikoff following the game. “Once I got a step on (the defenceman) I had to get the goalie sliding. Luckily I got it, and it just (went) in.” The overtime winner was Poznikoff’s second goal of the night. Jessica Healey (Edmonton, Alta.) and Amy Boucher (Edmonton, Alta.) also scored for the Thunder. Kayla Vespa (Stoney Creek, Ont.), Mallory Young (Caistor Centre, Ont.) and Claire Merrick (Oakville, Ont.) scored for the Sabres. This week has been a struggle for the experienced Edmonton team, making its sixth straight appearance at the Esso Cup. After suffering losses in three of its first four games, Poznikoff said the mentality coming into the preliminary finale was different. “Those other games we were there, but there was nothing that riled us up,” she said. “But six minutes before we went on for our warm-up everybody was just cheering. That really helped us.” The first period was the best 20 minutes the Thunder had played all week. Several early rushes showed the team could match the Sabres’ speed. And it would be the Thunder’s quickness that got the team the first goal of the game. Poznikoff brought the puck from the right corner behind the net and finished with a wraparound into the bottom left side of Hannah Miller’s (Georgetown, Ont.) cage. For the first time at the tournament, Stoney Creek found itself trailing. Less than three minutes later, Healey doubled the lead with a sharp-angle shot from the bottom of the face-off circle. Those two quick strikes spelled an end to the evening for Miller, who was replaced by Serena D’Angelo (Stoney Creek, Ont.). Whatever good feelings Edmonton had coming out of the first intermission disappeared 15 seconds after retaking the ice. Down a player, Vespa put home the rebound on Emily Calligan’s (Hannon, Ont.) wraparound attempt. Young pulled her team even five minutes later when she put home Summer Belanco’s (Brantford, Ont.) shot. Merrick’s team-leading third goal of the tournament – in which she drove past and went high on the goalie, before sliding on her stomach to the side boards – at 4:12 of the third tied things up. The teams meet again Friday night in the semifinals. 		Visiting Team: Edmonton Thunder
 Home Team: Stoney Creek Sabres
EDMONTON THUNDER LINEUP
Pos No.   Name
G31  Kikuchi, Tracie
G38  Rusnak, Keelyn
 3  Emerson, Raylene
 5  Dillon, Cayle
 7  Healey, Jessica
 8  Hitchings, Diane
 9  Giorgi, Kathryn
 10  Campbell, Brett
 11  Becks, Kennedy
 12  Barnett, Alison
 13  Boucher, Amy
 14  Casson, Morgan
 15  Reiter, Alix
 16  Poznikoff, Alexandra
 17  Scharpegge, Kennedi
 18  Padgett, Madison
 19  Gorda, Nicole
 20  McMillan, Alexa
 21  Lloyd, Taegan
 23  Laplante, Madison
EDMONTON THUNDER PENALTIES
Per. No.  Min  Offence Off PP PS Start On
1st20 2:00 (auto) Hooking minor 7:481 7:4814:12
1st13 2:00 Tripping minor 17:361 17:364:24
1st19 2:00 (auto) Body Checking minor 18:151 18:153:45
3rd7 2:00 (auto) Interference minor 13:291 13:298:31
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
STONEY CREEK SABRES LINEUP
Pos No.   Name
G30  Miller, Hannah
G31  D'Angelo, Serena
 4  Belanco, Summer
 5  Marmen, Rachel
 6  Jerome, Sarah
 7  Ayres, Stephanie
 8  Calligan, Emily
 9  Korzack, Megan
 10  Vespa, Kayla
 11  Nelles, Sarah
 12  Merrick, Claire
 13  Young, Mallory
 14  Bellamy, Jesse
 15  Woodland, Theresa
 16  Bruder, Alison
 17  Butterfield, Amanda
 19  Brown, Jessica
 27  Klimek, Victoria
 46  Costello, Natasha
 71  Vasko, Alexa
STONEY CREEK SABRES PENALTIES
Per. No.  Min  Offence Off PP PS Start On
1st71 2:00 (auto) Hooking minor 19:111 19:112:49
2nd7 2:00 Roughing minor 2:101 2:1019:50
3rd7 2:00 (auto) Checking to Head/Neck minor 7:061 7:0614:54
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
         
EDMONTON THUNDER Goals EDMONTON THUNDER PLAYERS (plus) STONEY CREEK SABRES PLAYERS (minus)
Per. Time    G-As1-As2    
1st12:36  16            
1st15:09  7            
2nd13:38  13-23            
1st OT4:21  16            
STONEY CREEK SABRES Goals STONEY CREEK SABRES PLAYERS (plus) EDMONTON THUNDER PLAYERS (minus)
Per. Time    G-As1-As2    
2nd:15 SH 10-8            
2nd5:05  13-4            
3rd4:12  12-16            
                
POWER PLAY OPPORTUNITIES
EDMONTON THUNDER 0 / 3
STONEY CREEK SABRES 0 / 4
PENALTY SUMMARY
EDMONTON THUNDER 8 min / 4 inf
STONEY CREEK SABRES 6 min / 3 inf
POINT SUMMARY
EDMONTON THUNDER 4 G + 1 A = 5 Pts
STONEY CREEK SABRES 3 G + 3 A = 6 Pts
SCORING 1 2 3 OT1 Total
EDMONTON THUNDER21014
STONEY CREEK SABRES02103
GOALTENDER/SAVES (Time) 1 2 3 OT1 Tot. On Off
EDM - Kikuchi (60:39) (W)788023/0:001st OT/0:39
STC - Miller (15:09) 00000/0:001st/15:09
STC - D'Angelo (45:30) (OTL)386320/15:091st OT/0:39
Stars of the Game TIME OF GAME:
  -  Start: 7:00 PM
  -  End: 7:00 PM
  -  Attendance: 0 
OFFICIALS
Referee:
Referee:
Linesmen:
Linesmen:
CERTIFIED CORRECT
 
This report has been checked and verified against the Official Esso Cup Game Report.

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