2014 Esso Cup

SHELL NOTCHES TWO IN SUDBURY’S FIRST TOURNEY WIN

STONEY CREEK, Ont. – She scored not once, but twice, to help lead the Sudbury Lady Wolves to their impressive first win Monday afternoon at the 2014 Esso Cup.

Karli Shell (Lively, Ont.) was certainly key in the 5-1 victory over the Moncton Rockets. The power forward cracked the scoreboard first just nine minutes into the game, and then followed up with her second of the day on a power play just a few minutes later, to give Sudbury a 2-0 advantage going into the first intermission.

It served as a much-needed boost for the Lady Wolves, who were edged 2-1 by the Weyburn Gold Wing in a hard fought game on Esso Cup opening day.

Despite a more closely played middle frame, Sudbury’s offensive onslaught picked up again in the third, with a bad turnover right in front of the Moncton net resulting in a goal from Victoria Pitawanakwat (Manitowaning, Ont.) to make it 3-0 at 2:30 in the period.

Just over two minutes later, Melisa Kingsley (Sudbury, Ont.) passed the puck out front Taylor McGaughey (Sudbury, Ont.), who let a quick low shot off and send the puck soaring into the right side of the net to make it 4-0.

Some late game penalties taken by the Moncton Rockets didn’t help their case on the ice, with a five-on-three slowing them down even more, and the Sudbury Lady Wolves talking full advantage. Shell passed it across the slot to Kennedy Lanktree (Mindemoya, Ont.) on the far side of the net, who put into the mesh to make it 5-0.

But after a tough couple of games to start the tournament, Moncton once again wasn’t going to allow a shutout, as Hayley Hallihan (Miramichi, N.B.) put the Rockets on the board with less than two minutes left on the clock, for the 5-1 final.

Netminder Jordan Carrier (Moncton, N.B.) made an incredible 42 saves over 60 minutes.

“I think we just needed a lot of shots and to get to the net,” Shell said after the game of pushing Sudbury’s outburst forward. “We needed more offense, so that was quite a big key to our game today.”