2017 Esso Cup

GALLANT SCORES FOUR TO KEEP LIGHTNING PLAYOFF HOPES ALIVE

LEE BOYADJIAN

MORDEN, Man. – In a must-win game Thursday, Kate Gallant had five points to lift the Durham West Lightning past the Mid-Isle Wildcats 8-1. The win gives the Lightning control of its playoff future; a win Thursday puts the Lightning in the semifinals.

Gallant is the second player in tournament history to score four goals in one game, joining Notre Dame Hounds forward Taylor Woods, who had a quartet in a win over the Kings County Kings in 2011.

Just over a minute into the first period, Gallant and linemates Chavonne Truter and MacKenzie MacDonald were in tight on Wildcats goaltender Danielle Gallant. The Lightning winger jammed it past Gallant to put Durham West ahead early.

Fourteen seconds later, the same line was at it again, with Truter dumping a shot in and causing another commotion in the crease. Danielle Gallant got turned around and MacDonald was able to sneak one past her to put the Lightning up 2-0.

The Wildcats cut the lead in half on a power play late in the period. Madeline Hamill dumped a point shot in on Lightning goaltender Kaitlyn Evelyn, and the bouncing puck got picked up first by Heidi Mae Lauwerijjssen then by Lexie Murphy, who eventually found the back of the net, making it 2-1 Durham West heading into the intermission.

The second period would belong to Durham West, though, with five goals in seven minutes. The scoring streak was started by Gallant, who was parked at the edge of the crease, and got two chances at a rebound before burying her second of the game.

Less than two minutes later Brooklyn Donaldson, also near the blue ice, received a perfect pass from MacDonald and finished with an easy tap-in to make it 4-1 Lightning. And just over a minute after that, off the face-off, Julie Gough sent a snap shot in on Gallant to make it 5-1, ending the goaltender’s afternoon.

Kate Gallant completed her hat trick by jamming in a loose rebound at the seven-minute mark of the middle frame. Her fourth and final goal was a tip-in off a point shot from Lauren Tracogna. By the end of the second, Durham West had taken a 7-1 lead.

Brianna Brooks finished off the scoring in the third, with a wrist shot from the dot. With the loss, Mid-Isle was eliminated from playoff contention.

The Lightning can secure itself a spot in the playoffs with a win Thursday against the St. Albert Slash at 12 p.m. CT. Meanwhile, the Wildcats will close out their Esso Cup against the host Pembina Valley Hawks at 7 p.m. CT.