The championship final series is underway in the Saskatchewan Female AAA Hockey League, and both teams have a Moose Jaw flavour.
The Notre Dame Hounds and Regina Rebels each feature players from the Moose Jaw Minor Hockey Association, with fourth-year veteran Ellie Gauvin taking the ice with the Hounds against the Rebels’ Brooklyn Nimegeers and Ashley Breitkreuz.
Gauvin and the Hounds had an easier trip to the championship series, thanks to their 24-2-2-2 regular season that saw Notre Dame finish in first place in the seven-team league.
That earned the Hounds a first-round bye, and they followed up with a three-games-to-one win over the Saskatoon Stars in their semifinal series.
Gauvin capped her final AAA campaign with eight goals and 16 points in 29 games and currently has a goal through the four playoff games.
The 17-year-old defenceman is off to Brown University next season.
Over in Regina, it’s been a banner run for Nimegeers in her first full season on the blueline with the Rebels.
Nimegeers -- who turned 16 on Jan. 10 -- finished the regular season with five goals and 21 points in 30 games to lead all defencemen in scoring while also finishing 15th overall among all skaters. She’s since followed with a goal and four points in seven playoff games.
When all was said and done, Nimegeers was named one of the league’s first-team all-star defenceman despite only playing in her first full campaign.
Breitkreuz is in her rookie season with the Rebels and put up two goals and four points in 30 games and has a goal in seven games in the postseason.
Regina finished their regular season with a 23-4-1-2 mark and in second place. They had little difficulty in the first round against the last-place Weyburn Goldwings in taking a three-game sweep before needing four games to finish off the Swift Current Wildcats in their semifinal.
The two teams met five times during the regular season, with Regina winning the season series three-games-to-two.
That included a 1-0 Regina win in overtime on Oct. 19 followed by Regina winning 3-2 in the first rematch on Nov. 30, with Nimegeers assisting on the Rebels’ first goal.
The most lopsided difference between the two teams came on Jan. 26 in Regina, where Notre Dame took a 5-2 win. Breitkreuz drew an assist on Regina’s second marker in that contest.
It was another one-goal game when Notre Dame took a 1-0 win out of Regina on Feb. 1, and the Rebels won the most recent match-up 3-2 on Feb. 23, with Nimegeers setting up the game-winning goal late in the third period.
Alexis Petford led the Rebels and the league in scoring with 38 goals and 76 points in 29 games; Rylan Perrett was Notre Dame’s top scorer with 16 goals and 46 points in 30 games.
The SFAAAHL championship final opened on Saturday, Apr. 2 in Notre Dame, and sure enough, it was a barnburner, with the Rebels taking a 2-1 win in double overtime.
Gauvin drew an assist on the Hounds’ goal-ahead goal early in the third period, and Nimegeers scored the tying goal on the power play with 8:04 remaining in the final frame.
Game 2 is Regina on Monday, Apr. 4, Game 3 at Notre Dame on Thursday, Apr. 7 and Game 4 if necessary on Sunday, Apr. 10 in Regina. The fifth and deciding game will take place, if needed, on Tuesday, Apr. 12 at Notre Dame.
For all the scores from the playoffs and the latest updates, be sure to visit http://www.sfu18aaahl.com.
