Jan 15, 2018 | Sportsgate | 328 views
Kingston JRs Take Two of Three Games
HOCKEY: The Kingston Jr. Ice Wolves scored a 2018 high of four goals in a game for one win and then made one goal work for another victory as they took two of three games played during a busy Provincial Women’s Hockey League weekend on the road that began Friday night and ended early Sunday afternoon.
Following a 3-1 loss to the London Devilettes on Friday night in a game that saw the Ice Wolves score just one goal in a game for the third consecutive time, Kingston broke out offensively for a 4-1 win on Saturday evening over the Southwest Wildcats and then blanked the Bluewater Hawks 1-0 on Sunday.The two wins lifted the Ice Wolves a game over .500 (14-13-3-0 for 31 points) and left them tied for eighth place in league standings with the Etobicoke Dolphins (15-14-0-1). Both teams have eight games remaining and are still looking to solidify a playoff spot. The top 16 teams make the post-season and currently a team as low-placed as the No. 17 K-W Rangers are still in the mix with 24 points.With 14 wins and 31 points, this year’s edition of the Ice Wolves is just three wins and nine points shy of matching last season’s franchise-best totals of 17 victories and 40 points when they finished 11th and made the playoffs for the first time.Goaltender Kaitlyn Evelyn on Sunday stopped 11 shots for her second shutout of the season and Darcie Lappan scored the game’s only goal, at 9:26 of the third period, to give the Ice Wolves the win.Evelyn has given up just two goals in her past three starts and three in her past four appearances — three of which she has won.Lappan sits tied for second in the league’s scoring race with 29 points (12G, 17A) and trails league leader Katy Knoll of the Toronto Aeros by just a pair.On Saturday, Southwest scored first but the Ice Wolves notched the next four goals, including one into an empty net, to take the win.After Avery Mertz, on a power play, gave Southwest its 1-0 lead in the first period, Melissa Jefferies, also on a power play, tied it in the second. Justine Larkin made it a 2-1 game 8:12 into the third period before Rebecca Thompson netted a pair of goals, at 14:23 and then into an empty net at 17:41, to complete the scoring.The goals by Jefferies and Larkin were the defenders’ first of their PWHL careers.Camryn Fennell gained the goaltending win, stopping 16 of 17 shots directed her way.On Friday, Meghan Jefferies opened the game’s scoring at 3:51 of the first period, but London did the rest of the damage with second-period goals just 2:12 apart from Hannah DeCoutere and Maggie McKee and an empty-net goal in the third from Jaymee Nolan with just 48 seconds left.Evelyn gave up just two goals in the 24 shots she faced.This weekend, the Ice Wolves host the Nepean Wildcats at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night at the Invista Centre and entertain the Mississauga Chiefs on Sunday afternoon at 12:30 p.m., also at the Invista Centre.