Speed, puck possession important for Westman Wildcats

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This article was published 05/03/2024 (808 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Sophomore forward Reese Schutte and her teammates have been practising with extra vigour in preparation of their next playoff series against the third-place Eastman Selects.

Despite having swept their games versus the Selects during the U18 AAA Manitoba Female Hockey League regular season, Schutte knows it’s a new season for the remaining four teams after the opening round.

“It’s going to be a very good matchup. All season, we’ve had good games against them and we were able to pull out with a win every time,” she said.

“But that’s something we need to forget in playoffs as unexpected things can happen. If our team does what we’re good at, like using our speed, possession of the puck and playing together, I think we will come out with success.”

A pair of players Schutte and her teammates will need to watch on Eastman’s roster are their two top snipers — Ginger Fast has 12 goals and 28 points in 28 games, while Ava Boily contributed nine goals and 23 points in 27 games.

In the post-season after the opening round, Fast had a goal and five assists, while teammate Sophia Heidinger scored four goals and added two assists against the Interlake Lightning.

The Selects won’t have an easy task on defence, when the Wildcats are cycling the puck effectively on the attack. While the league’s top rookie Ivy Perkin, who finished second in league scoring, has yet to score, she collected four assists against the seventh-place Pembina Valley Hawks.

Three teammates stepped up provided the needed offence to help the Wildcats sweep the Hawks, with Karlyn Gudz and Callie Hilborst each scoring three goals and adding two assists, while Kelsey Huibers scored twice and added three assists.

Selects goalie Addison Tomes is likely to carry her team between the pipes, earning a shutout, and posting a 1.32 goals-against average (GAA) and .957 save percentage facing the Lightning.

During the regular season, she was 12-4-1-1, with a 1.63 GAA and .944 save percentage.

At the other end of the ice in Hartney, goalie Danica Averill won all three of her games versus the Hawks. She posted a 2.34 GAA and .896 save percentage.

During the regular season, Averill was 13-4-1-2, with a 1.82 GAA and .932 save percentage.

Hawks forward Abigail Bring caused the most damage for her team offensively against the Wildcats, scoring four goals and adding one assist.

“Pembina gives us a good series,” said Schutte. “They battle hard and protect their net well. So it wasn’t easy, but we pushed through and made our way to the second round.”

It’s not lost on Schutte, who experienced U18 AAA MFHL playoffs as a rookie, that it’s a different game once the puck drops during the post-season. Pressure ramps up, and there’s little time to think when the puck hits your tape from a teammate’s pass. Defence is stressed by the coaches, with counter-attacks providing players with an opportunity to score.

“I think if we focus on playing defensively first our offensive chances will come,” offered Schutte. “Anything can happen in playoffs and we have to be prepared to outplay every team no matter where they stood in the standings.”

She added, “We have to make sure we are always playing the full 60 minutes and not having slow starts.”

Generating more shots on goal will be a must, according to Schutte, who continually hears this message from her coaches Tony Franklin, Blair Bodie, Chris Page and Megan Halloran.

“We have to shoot when we get the chance and make sure we are making the right play and not hesitating with the puck.

“I think a big part of our scoring this year has been because of having traffic in front of the net and being prepared for rebounds. We have to continue doing that throughout the playoffs.”

While Perkin led her team in scoring with 17 goals and 31 points in 28 games, Schutte finished second in team scoring with 13 goals and 23 points in 28 games. Both are counted on to generate scoring changes, or finishing off plays in proximity to the net.

However, she acknowledges remaining focused is the key to her team playing a 200-foot game, and to avoid breakdowns in the neutral zone to give the Selects a chance to counter-attack. Plus, she likes to feed off the home crowd energy to give her an extra step when she has the puck on her stick.

“There’s lots of energy and it’s a great atmosphere during playoffs … everyone including the fans are really into the game. But we have to focus on the game and not be distracted,” she said.

While waiting for the Selects/Lightning series wrap-up, going four games, Schutte and her teammates have been under the tutelage of Franklin during practices.

“We’ve just been doing most of the same things we’ve been doing all season because we’ve noticed what we have been doing helps,” she said. “To be prepared for the next round a big part is just playing our game and playing as a team.”

The Selects are in Hartney on Wednesday to open the best-of-five series at 7:30 p.m., before the Wildcats are on the road for Game 2 in Niverville on Saturday for a 2:30 p.m. tilt. Game 3 is back in Hartney for another afternoon games, again puck drop at 2:30 p.m.

If a Game 4 is needed, a trip back to Niverville is scheduled for March 13, with a 7 p.m. start. If the series goes the distance, Game 5 is scheduled for Hartney on March 15. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m.

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