The North Star Wolves girls hockey team is off to the next round of the WECSSAA “AA” playoffs with the coaches looking for a better effort once they get there.
Rayah Crawford scored 3:17 into overtime to give the Wolves a 2-1 victory over E.J. Lajeunesse last Wednesday afternoon at the Libro Centre in Amherstburg. June Buchner scored the other goal and had an assist for North Star.
After a scoreless first period, Lajeunesse got a goal late in the second period from Sylvie Dufour to go up 1-0.
Buchner scored just over a minute into the third period, assisted by Emily McGuire, with a hard wrist shot from the left circle and Crawford’s goal came on a tip-in after a pass from Laia Weigel.
“It was good,” Crawford said of her game-winning goal. “It was a team effort. We all had a part in the win.”
Crawford said they worked hard as a team and played better in the third period and in overtime. McGuire agreed, saying the effort was better in starting in the third period.
“I thought it was a really good game,” said McGuire. “We had to step it up after the first two periods but we did that and it was OK.”
Crawford said “we have to move the puck more” while McGuire added they have to have more urgency in their game and communicate better on the ice.
North Star coach Dan Pettypiece, who is joined behind the bench by Bill Atkinson and Carly LeBlanc, also pointed out a more consistent effort all game long is needed as the Wolves advance in the WECSSAA “AA” playoffs.
“With one-game eliminations, if you don’t show up to play, it can come back to haunt you,” said Pettypiece. “In the first two periods, we were not pushing the play. (Lajeunesse) was winning puck battles all over the ice.”
The Wolves played better starting in the third period, Pettypiece added.
“That was our real team out there,” he said.
“We were happy with the third period,” added Atkinson.
Pettypiece added the coaches hope last Wednesday’s game was “a wake-up call for them” and that they are ready to play in this Thursday’s semi-final game.
“We’re happy with the win but we would have rather won a bit easier,” he said. “We’re proud of them. They didn’t quit.”
The Wolves’ semi-final game is Thursday at 2 p.m. at the Libro Centre.
Wolves girls hockey team advances, coaches want better effort
By Ron Giofu
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