ACC defends ACHA title with 2-1 win

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This article was published 19/03/2022 (1357 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

It took them three years to do it, but the Assiniboine Community College Cougars defended their American Collegiate Hockey Association Division 2 women’s hockey championship with a 2-1 victory over the Dakota College-Bottineau Ladyjacks on Saturday in St. Louis.

Alecia Simpson gave ACC the lead late in the first period and Simone Turner scored the winning goal early in the third period to break a 1-1 tie as the clubs played to a 2-1 outcome for the third time this season. 

“It feels amazing,” Simpson said after the game. “It was such a good game and everyone had to buy in and now we’re going to celebrate as a team. It feels good.”

Head coach Tony Bertone said his team, which went a perfect 5-0 at the national championship and 20-2 overall, played well in the final, outshooting their opponents 30-10.

“It was nerve-racking in the first and second,” Bertone said. “With 16 rookies and one vet — none of the (rookies) had played in nationals before — usually you have six or seven players you can lean on to settle things down but we didn’t have that group.

“For this game, we were nervous for two periods. We weren’t playing our game but in the third, these girls came out on fire. I think we only gave them two shots in the third period.”

The teams had recent history, meeting in mid-November for a doubleheader at the Sportsplex, with both earning a 2-1 victory. The defeat on Nov. 12 was the last loss the Cougars suffered this season.

“Every single game we had to go as hard as we could,” Simpson said. “We knew going in that we had to push because they were going to give us a good battle.”

It was a close game on the score clock but not in zone time or on the shot clock. ACC was able to use its forecheck and cycle to keep the Dakota College hemmed in their own zone for long stretches.

“Man they were working,” Bertone said of his players. “You could just tell they wanted it for each other. It was just the greatest feeling in the world to have back to back for Brandon and for the college and for everybody who supports us and puts in all the hard work.”

The Cougars created some problems for themselves in the first period when they took back-to-back minors, but they managed to kill them both and took the lead 18 minutes 55 seconds into the first period when Simpson stole a pass between defencemen at the ACC blue-line and scored on a long breakaway.

“It was a D to D pass,” Simpson said. “Bottineau likes to go for those hard shots from the point so I just picked it up in the middle and had a breakaway down the ice.

“The puck was rolling really hard and I was trying to settle it down and I decided just to shoot it and it went in.”

The puck found a spot under the arm of goaltender Chloe Burt on the blocker side.

The Ladyjacks knotted the game 1-1 when Jessica Shankle replied 6:56 into the second period.

“The goal they got was a dandy. (ACC goalie Megan Beswitherick) played strong and she just gave a little hole on the top of the net, and by God, that girl found it,” Bertone said with a laugh. “That was a great shot.”

ACC appeared to have retaken the lead on a power play a few minutes later — they actually had a 90-second five-on-three — but the goal was quickly waved off after it was judged to have gone in off a high stick.

That sent the teams into the third period tied with a national championship on the line, and naturally it was ACC’s scoring leader, Turner, who responded when she converted on a pass by Aidan Roberts 4:43 into the period.

“My linemate hustled for the puck and I think she just had an idea I was coming down the middle,” Turner said. “She ripped it out front and I was there and I got a stick on it.”

The Ladyjacks sent the Cougars to back-to-back power plays again —  ACC went 0-for-5 on the power play, while Dakota College was scoreless in two chances — but the Cougars were unable to add an insurance marker.

As it turned out, they didn’t need it.

Still, it was an anxious ACC bench in the final minutes.

“It was very exciting,” Simpson said. “Everyone’s hearts were racing and we were just pushing as hard as we could. Everyone was going as hard as we could.”

The wild celebration after the final whistle is something only Turner had experienced before.

ACC earned its first title on March 31, 2019 in Texas with a 1-0 win over the Minot State University Beavers, and due to the COVID-related cancellations of the 2020 and 2021 events, made an unlikely return in 2022 as defending champions. 

Turner scored the winning goal and was named tournament MVP both times.

“Honestly, I had no idea what was going to happen coming into this week,” Turner said. “I knew I had a good team beside me and I really just hoped for the best. Fortunately the bounces went our way and I guess I was on fire this week. I knew what to expect coming in a bit and I just didn’t want to lose.”

Bertone was just happy he had his captain on board. Turner has indicated to him she will return for a fifth and final year, so they may still have more memories to make.

“What a trooper,” Bertone said. “That kid is unbelievable. She is a born leader. She’s going to do amazing things in life. She’s just a great person and cares, and nurtures these girls and brings them along. She’s been through it all.”

ICINGS: Neepawa’s Jessica Wither, Carberry’s Zoe Cupples, Waywayseecappo’s Trinity Tanner and Dauphin’s Jaida Chartrand are all members of the Dakota College squad … ACC topped Northeastern University 5-3 while Dakota College-Bottineau beat Boston College 5-0 on Friday to book their spots in the final.

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