By Lee Bogle and Sean Nyilassy
With the Dinos women’s hockey team earning season points in both of the weekends preceding their Feb. 4-5 games, the go-get was in their skates. Unfortunately, the go-get ’em attitude was not enough to beat the top-ranked Mount Royal College Cougars on Friday. Yeah… 3-0… moving on.
The following soiree found the Dinos eagerly anticipating a continued winning streak against the Grant MacEwan College Griffins.
Our mythical beast struck their mythical beast first in the opening frame, but the Griffins’ feathers would not be ruffled so easily. They stayed close on the tails of the Dinos through the second period, closing it 2-1 in favour of our ladies.
The Griffins swooped down, talons flared in the third, managing a 4-3 lead mid-way into the frame. Beth Nerland, who had already contributed a score along with Shauna Raugust and Robyn Chapman, struck back with some “talon”t of her own. At 11:05 she punished the opposing goalie with a bullet, killing their lead. But that would not be the last time her fans would exult her this night. She put the game winner in while on the woman-advantage at 15:24.
Just like students in high-school, it is a shame the Dinos are such late bloomers this season, having obtained five of their total eight points in the last third of their games. But as spring rolls in, the flowers get one more chance to bloom. After a weekend break to let loose on the slopes, the ladies go back to work for one final who-haa Feb. 17-18. They meet the tough Red Deer College Queens in Red Deer then the SAIT Trojans for a last stand at home.