Ooks slide by shorthanded Queens lineup at Red Deer Polytechnic

Brent Forster - Red Deer Polytechnic Athletics

Red Deer, AB – In the past three games between the Red Deer Polytechnic Queens and NAIT Ooks, only one goal was the difference.

Saturday's game broke that trend as the Queens iced a shorthanded lineup.

The Queens were without the services of several student-athletes, including Alli Soyko, Arilyn Toews, Madison Sansom, Haley Kicia, Dylan Norrie, and Avery Lajeunnesse, who is out for the season. 

After the game was even 1-1 after 40 minutes, NAIT's Cassidy Shandro recorded a natural hat trick in the third period and helped the visitors to pick up a 4-1 decision.

"Going into the third, it was pretty even. Our effort was okay, just our attention to small details - NAIT just capitalized on them," said Kelly Coulter, Red Deer Polytechnic Queens Hockey Head Coach. "Their goaltender made some key saves and tonight we just weren't sharp enough and they were able to capitalize."

The Ooks got on the board first. NAIT's Darby Robertson beat Queens netminder Izzy Palumbo on the glove side at 1:35 of the opening stanza. 

When it looked like the Ooks would enter the third period up a goal, Queens first-year forward Brenna Reid's third of the season knotted the contest 1-1. The tenacious forward busted up the left side and tried to centre the puck to a teammate, but it deflected off an Ooks' defender and found room betwen goaltender Havana Batke's pads with 1.4 seconds remaining in the second period. 

Then NAIT's Cassidy Shandro went to work in the final frame. The second-year forward from Edmonton struck at 0:16, 4:41, and 11:31 to lift the Ooks to the road win. 

Spruce Grove's Natalie Buttle (2)

Neither side could connect on the power play. The RDP Queens went zero-for-two. The Ooks couldn't convert on four tries. 

Kyla Hansel was recognized as the North Star Sports Queens Player of the Game.

"She is really solid defensively. Kyla is strong on her stick. We actually bumped her up a bit to play forward because she has been rushing the puck quite well," added Coulter.

"She was the jack-of-all-trades tonight and had a really solid effort. Defending wise, she is very good and she does bring some offensive talent to our lineup. I just kind of threw it into the blender and saw what we came up with and I thought she had a very good performance tonight."

Cassidy Shandro picked up the top player honour for the Ooks.

Palumbo made 25 saves.

Havana Batke turned aside 21 shots.

The first place Red Deer Polytechnic Queens (8-2-1) will face-off against the third seed Broncos (5-6-0) in Olds on Thursday, February 17 at 7 pm.

The Ooks (8-3-0) trail the Queens by one point in the standings. 

Mary Hirsch (24)