Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
Liv Fenwick had the game winner while Makena Marlow stood tall in net to lead the NDSS Golden Hawks to a 2-1 win over the Holy Cross Crusaders in Thursday afternoon’s KASSAA girls hockey finals.
Gabby Uens put the Hawks up 1-0 with a wrist shot through traffic in the final two minutes of the opening period.
Fenwick doubled the lead by beating a sprawled out Sydney Rogers. Maddy Cronkwright and Nikki Weese picked up assists on the play.
“There was a scramble in front of the net and it came off the goalie’s pad,” recalled Fenwick of her eventual game winning goal. “I fell, I got pushed over but I just kind of backhanded it in.”
Unable to get much on her shot, Fenwick wasn’t even sure it had found the net.
“I was very surprised it went in,” she said. “As soon as I saw my teammates on the bench jump up, I knew it went in.”
The celebration was short lived however as the Crusaders answered in the final minutes of the second after a give away in Napanee territory led to a Crusaders’ break away. They didn’t waste it, besting Marlow and sending the Holy Cross fans into a frenzy.
“We were up 2-0 and I think everyone was comfortable, maybe a little too comfortable,” said Fenwick. “Then we had that little mishap out front and she scored and it just made everyone a bit more serious and let them know we were in a game.”
Hawks goalie Makena Marlow watches a puck go just wide of the net in the second period of Thursday’s KASSAA league finals at the Invista Centre. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
Clinging to their 2-1 lead into the third, the Hawks defense took it from there. They were able to whether a 5-on-4 power-play, plus a final 30 seconds of 6-on-5 as the Crusaders pulled their goalie. Holy Cross made it interesting, spending the majority of the final five minutes on the attack, even ringing a few shots off the post and crossbar but ultimately couldn’t find the back of the net and the Hawks held on to clinch the victory.
“You’re trying to be safe but sometimes you can be too safe and sit back and kind of fold a little and give them too much room,” said Hawks coach Matt Campeau. “It’s a fine balancing act, our girls battled hard right to the end.”
An ability to keep calm under pressure also paid huge dividends for the champions.
Maddy Cronkwright (left) of the NDSS Golden Hawks attempts to poke the puck away from a Crusader during Thursday’s KASSAA league finals. Photo by Adam Prudhomme.
“We’ve been in a couple close games before,” said Hawks head coach Chad Miller. “In our tournament we won one game in a shootout, so we’ve been in those tight game situations. We had Grade 9s out there as well. To see young kids step up and help out, we had veterans and Grade 9s contributing and not panicking. It bodes well for our future.”
Napanee entered the game as the favourites after going 7-0-1 on the year and finishing in first overall, but they were also without their captain and top scoring threat Maddy Wheeler. The Grade 11, who scored the game winner for the Hawks for their last KASSAA championship back in 2017 as well as scored the game winner for Canada at the U18 Women’s World Championships in January, was away at the Canada Winter Games.
“Every player in that locker room stepped up with her absence,” said Miller. “Everyone contributed more than they had been and it worked out.”
NDSS will now head to Pembroke on Monday to take part in EOSSAA with a trip to OFSAA on the line. OFSAA will take place March 18-21 in Midland, Ont.