By Jim den Hollander
Editor/Publisher
Saukhockey.info
The Lake City 14U A Whitecaps out of Sauk Prairie stepped up its competition level this past weekend and came out of a highly competitive tournament in Sault Ste. Marie with a 2-2 record.
The Whitecaps saw a 10-game winning streak snapped in the opening contest falling 3-0 to the Thunder Bay Queens Friday (Oct. 27) and the host Soo Jr. Greyhounds also managed a 4-1 win against the Whitecaps the following day.
The Whitecaps rebounded later Saturday with a 3-2 edge against the North Bay Lakers, then followed that up Sunday with a 4-2 margin in a rematch against the Lakers.
Following is a quick look at three of the four contests (unfortunately, there is no information available for the game against the Soo.
Whitecaps 0 @ Queens 3
The Caps were held off the scoresheet for just the second time this season, the first a scoreless 0-0 draw with North Shore at Sauk Prairie Area Recreation Center (SPARC) in the previous game.
Ivy Hare turned in a stellar effort in goal for the Caps, keeping it scoreless through the opening period despite a 12-0 edge in for the Queens.
Kaelyn Stansell finally found a way past Hare near the halfway mark of the second and Avery Gunn added insurance a little more than three minutes later.
Olivia Vinet wrapped it up with the lone third period tally, but Hare was the star of this one, kicking out 31 of 34 shots to keep it close.
Whitecaps 3 @ Lakers 2
The Whitecaps bounced back from its first two games Saturday evening outshooting the Lakers by a 35-19 margin, scoring first and never trailing.
Natelee Gesicki’s unassisted marker with 8 minutes to play in the opening period stood up as the lone goal in the first two periods thanks in part to Hare who stopped all 12 of the shots she faced.
Kaylee Bolton pulled the Lakers even early in the third but Gesicki’s second of the contest, from Phoebe Hager restored the lead.
Bolton fired a second just over a minute later to tie it again, but Margaret Colletti sank the game winner with 3:46 to go with help from Haley Royster and Josephine Cullison.
Lakers 2 @ Whitecaps 4
The same teams squared off in a Consolation final Sunday, but this time the Caps needed a third period rally to pull back from a 2-1 deficit.
Eleanor Porter notched the lone goal of the first period from Anjali Ballweg and Gesicki but Brooklyn McGowan and Amber Chevrier scored middle period markers to give North Bay a 2-1 cushion.
Gesicki took over, notching a natural hat trick with three goals in the third period to tie, win and clinch the game.
MIrella Quartuccio and Marian Carroll helped out on the first goal and the other two were both solo efforts for Gesicki, making for a long, but happy ride home for the girls.
Six straight in Pennsylvania
Earlier in October the Whitecaps attended a National Girls Hockey League Tournament in Delmont, PA, collecting six straight wins in its first of two tournaments that will clinch a berth at league nationals.
Whitecaps 3 Princeton Tiger Lilies (Orange) 1
The Whitecaps kicked off the tournament against the Tiger Lilies from South Brunswick Twp, NJ.
Caps grabbed control with first period goals from Colletti and Bahe with an assist on the first for Kinley Irwin.
Emma Hlinka pulled one back for the Lilies with the lone goal of the second period but a third period tally for Quartuccio clinched the win with assists for Burkard and Royster.
Hare collected the win in goal stopping all but one of the 21 shots she faced.
Florida Alliance 0 @ Lake City Whitecaps 3
In the second contest on Oct. 7, the Whitecaps collected a win against the Florida opponent, helped by Hare’s 13-save shutout.
After two scoreless periods, the Caps went to work in the final period with goals from Gesicki, Ballweg and Hager. Ballweg also collected an assist along with Porter and Irwin.
Lake City White Caps 6 @ Lovell Winter Club 0
The following day the Caps picked up right where it left off including a back-to-back shutout for Hare agianst Winter Club, based out of Hingham, MA.
This time the Caps grabbed a 1-0 first period lead with the game winner scored by Gesicki with set ups for Ballweg and Porter.
A three-goal middle period put it away as Ballweg, Gesicki and Quartuccio each found the net with assists for Burkard and Hager.
Margaret Colletti and Royster added third period goals with Quartuccio adding another assist
The Caps wrapped up a dominant effort with 51 shots at the Winter Club goaltender.
Lake City Whitecaps 3 @ Buffalo (NY) Regals 1
Whitecaps wrapped up its second day with 3-1 edge against the Regals, Hare turrning in another near flawless effort, beaten just once on 15 shots.
Offensively, Penelope Loeffelholz opened the scoring for the Caps from Bahe and Ballweg added the game winner later in the opening period, from Hager.
The Regals found a way past Hare for the first time in three games early in the second, Leah Dowling pulling the trigger, but Gesicki restored the two-goal cushion about five minutes later from Ballweg.
Whitecaps 5 @ California Gold Rush 1
The Caps improved to 5-0, opening a 2-1 first period lead and putting it away with three unanswered goals in the final period.
The Gold Rush led early with the only shot of 17 to elude Hare but the Caps had control with a pair of Loeffelholz goals scored 24 seconds apart before the end of the opening period. Hager set up the first while Carroll and Bahe helped out on the second. with
That lead stood up until the third period when Porter added insurance from Gesicki early in the frame before Colletti and Bahe added others in the final three minutes.
Gesicki and Hager both picked up assists.
Hyland Hills Lady Jaguars 1 @ Whitecaps 7
The Caps made it a winning sixpack with a comfortable win against this Colorado-based team to Bup an awesome weekend.
The Whitecaps owned a 44-7 margin on the shot clock, and it paid off early as Gesicki fired a pair of unanswered first period markers, the first on a setup from Ballweg and the other on a feed from Porter.
Middle period goals from Carroll, Irwin and Loeffelholz all but clinched the win and third period goals from Royster and Colletti wrapped it up. Quartucci, Loeffelholz, Irwin and Bahe each picked up an assist along the way.
The Lady Jags gained a small consolation denying Hare a third goose egg as Neely Palsic spoiled it with 18 seconds to play.
The Whitecaps will attend a second NGHL event in Ann Arbor, MI later this month which will qualify them for the national championship tournament to be played in St. Louis in February.
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