D2

By Robert LaFrance

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The Southern Victoria High School girls hockey team's coach said Monday morning that the players had put together the best game that fans had seen for years when they met Edmundston High School AAA girls in Perth-Andover Sunday afternoon, Nov. 8.

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"It was probably one of the best games played by the girls' hockey team in a couple of years," commented Dean McAllister. "It was an outstanding first period and midway through the second period it was 1-0 for us, but then we saw the girls get played out a little bit. Conditioning was a factor, and that's what beat us but it was a good hard fought game. It's too bad our girls did tire out because they were the better club of the two up until that point." The final score was 5-1 for Edmundston, but it was only 3-1 with about six minutes to go.

"Some of the comments I heard from parents after the game was that it was the most exciting hockey game they'd seen since about two and a half years ago when we played Dalhousie and lost the game 5-4."

However, McAllister said in spite of that good play for much of the game, he and Assistant Coach Brad Sappier are going to focus on more conditioning.

"I think it's been lackadaisical for years here that they're almost used to losing, satisfied with just playing but this week they're going to find out that if they want to be here the times are changing."

The SVHS girls will be trying out their better conditioning this Sunday afternoon, Nov. 15, at 4:15 pm when they meet the Woodstock Lady Thunder in the River Valley Civic Centre. After that the next several games will be on the road.

In another recent game, this one Nov. 1 against Fredericton High School, the SV girls, an AA team playing in a league made up of AAA teams and themselves, not surprisingly lost 8-0 to Fredericton High School on Sunday, Nov. 1, but their head coach knew they played well.

Dean McAllister said the girls, many of whom were in grade nine, had played very well against the city team who were leading 4-0 before the first period was half over. It was the first game of the SV Lady Vikings' regular season.

"The Fredericton girls are expected to be the second-best AAA girls high school hockey team in the province," said Dean McAllister last week. "Behind 8-0, we played a super third period and didn't allow another goal. I'm finding out that with so many young players it's going to take a little while to gel, but they are very talented. This team has such a bright future for this year, next year, the year after. You're talking four years, building around these girls. By the way, we have ordered new uniforms for the team and they should be here by mid-November.

"I'm really excited about this season, McAllister said. "The girls in the 5 or 6 practices we've had just want to learn, be skating, do stuff. It's just going to be a matter of time, keep them playing, teach them a few more things, let them get their feet wet. We're going to be playing AAA teams all season; that's all that's left out there for us. With a good team that's a good thing, but with a bad AA team playing against AAA, that's a bad thing because after 15-0 they stop counting.

"It might seem a little bit discouraging, but to challenge these young girls like that it will make them improve, because they have the talent, the speed. Going from AA to AAA is like going from Junior Hockey to the NHL. There's quite a difference; these girls came out of minor hockey into AAA teams, they're definitely gunshy. There's a big size difference because they're in grade nine and are playing against these girls who are in grade 11 and 12.

"We have one goalie - Sam(antha) Howard. Sam has followed in her sister Amy's footsteps all along. Amy was a great goalie. Sam's attitude is great; she loves to play goal, she's done a good job this fall already. Another grade niner. She's going to be our goalie the whole season. Like Amy, Sam lives to play hockey, lives to play goal. I foresee her being very good."