Red Devils girls’ hockey fans could use some work on hat-trick ‘celly’

College Avenue’s Nathan Beam (right) keeps track of Tillsonburg Gemini Lucas Morse deep in the Knights’ zone. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Echo Correspondent

The Woodstock CI Red Devils girls’ hockey fans on buyout knew when to cheer, were appropriately dressed in red-and-white and packing a witty assortment of supportive signage.

But they could have used a little work on their hat-trick ‘celly’ protocol.

“Yes, they do,” smiled Red Devils’ defender Alex McDonald Tuesday, Dec. 9 at Woodstock’s Civic Centre Arena.

Clearly, the fans missed their cue, a variety of red-and-white and other headgear remaining firmly anchored on heads rather than being tossed onto the ice as per hockey tradition as Jillian Trepanier greeted the 42-second mark of the third period with her third goal of the contest.

The cost of a contemporary hat may have been a factor.

“Thirty bucks?” hazarded Trepanier, who personally favours a winter toque with a pom-pom. “Depends which one you get.”

“We would have given them back,” McDonald clarified. “We weren’t going to keep them.”

Missed opportunity aside, there was lots for the Red Devils to celebrate in an eventual 9-1 Thames Valley Regional Athletics Southeast victory over the Woodstock Huron Park Huskies. McDonald had opened scoring at the two-minute mark of the first period, assisted by Natalia Thompson and Paige Kilgour, kicking off a three-goal run including a pair of unassisted Trepanier efforts.

WCI’s Whitney Fraser, Kilgour and Dakota Thompson added second-period goals with a single assist to Tayla Graham. Trepanier from Kilgour, Eden Fraser, unassisted, and McDonald (from Fraser) rounded Red Devils scoring.

McDonald’s second of the game came from the left point, a high, hard wrister inside the right post.

“I just took my chance and shot it,” said McDonald. “They were all in front of the goalie and she couldn’t see.”

WCI finished last season as Western Ontario Secondary Schools Athletics Association (WOSSAA) bronze medallists and are looking to pick back up from there.

“We have big goals,” said coach Martha Trepanier. “Big goals this year.”

The roster includes a lot of Grade 12 students the coach continued, as well as a solid cadre of Woodstock Wildcats U18 skaters.

“And then you add talent and depth from other associations.”

“I feel we are used to each other because we played together last year,” McDonald added. “We know how each other plays.”

Expectations are high, in the short term, improving on last year’s finish, with the potential to advance beyond WOSSAA as a result.

“It will take a lot of hard work,” said Trepanier.

Huron Park’s Nevie Baker had a reasonable idea how the Red Devils would play, given she is also a Wildcats U18 roster member, enjoying competing against her teammates, even if that meant a little good-natured ‘chirping.’

“A little bit, not too much,” smiled Baker, also enjoying potting her team’s lone goal. Baker was rewarded as she drove to the net, burying the puck ‘top shelf’ at the 4:37 mark of the third period.

“Just like a rebound,” she summed up. “Screened the goalie.

“It was good we got at least one.”

The Red Devils are a strong team credited Huskies coach Ray Robbins, quality talent and shooters, with few holes in the lineup.

“Our goal was to get a goal and hopefully help our goalie a little more.”

Mission at least partially accomplished, he alluded to other team goals including having fun, staying positive and striving to improve.

“I think we just keep getting better as a team,” Baker agreed.

Tillsonburg Gemini Boys 9, Woodstock College Avenue 3

A three-goal Tillsonburg third decided the issue, but not without two solid periods of play from the Knights.

“Best game all year,” summed up College Avenue’s Tyson Clough Tuesday, December 9 at Woodstock’s Reeves Community Complex.

Teammate Jacob Skanes opened CASS scoring on an end-to-end second-period rush, cutting into an earlier 3-0 deficit. Picking up the puck in his own high slot, Skanes headed up ice, gained the Gemini blueline and scored on a wrister, possibly using the Tillsonburg defender as a partial screen. The Knights’ Nathan Beam made it a 3-2 game 1:59 later, driving to the net for a backhanded deke on a five-on-three power play. Tillsonburg’s Lucas Thompson restored Tillsonburg’s two-goal lead with 8:13 remaining in the period, a goal countered by Clough, cutting in off the left wing.

That would be as close as the Knights got, giving up a pair of late second-period goals and three unanswered in the third, en route to the 9-3 final.

“They came out hard in the first two periods,” said CASS coach Brody Campbell. “And we were with them up ‘till then (the third).”

The Knights scored twice in their first outing, three in their second and are looking for four in their next.

“Each game just get a little better,” Campbell concluded.