r t e c  pacific  region 18

Road to the 2018 Esso Cup: Pacific Regional

Greater Vancouver and St. Albert will renew acquaintances. Who wins their way to Bridgewater?

Jason La Rose
|
April 6, 2018
|

It’s a rematch of 2017, with the Greater Vancouver Comets and St. Albert Slash set to renew acquaintances with a trip to the Esso Cup on the line. One year ago, the Slash swept the Comets on home ice en route to a national title.

St. Albert narrowly defended its AFHL championship, tying the championship game with 6.9 seconds to go before getting the OT winner from McKenzie Hewett to edge Rocky Mountain. Greater Vancouver didn’t need the dramatic finish, sweeping its way to a second-straight BCFMAAA title and running its win streak to 11, dating back to the regular season.

The Slash are led by the dynamic duo of Hewett and Madison Willan, who scored 10 of the 12 St. Albert goals at provincials, while Jenn Gardiner and Jenna Buglioni sparked the Comets with nine points each in four postseason games.

RECENT CHAMPIONS (ESSO CUP FINISH)
2017 – St. Albert Slash (gold medal)
2016 – Rocky Mountain Raiders (bronze medal)
2015 – Edmonton Thunder (fifth place)
2014 (AB) – Edmonton Thunder (silver medal)
2014 (BC) – Fraser Valley Phantom (fifth place)
2013 – Edmonton Thunder (bronze medal)

GREATER VANCOUVER COMETS
BCFMAAA CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 29-2-1 (1st in BCFMAAA)
Goals for: 174
Goals against: 45
Leading scorer: Jenn Gardiner (38G 29A 67P)

Playoff record: 4-0
Goals for: 16
Goals against: 5
Leading scorer: Jenn Gardiner & Jenna Buglioni (4G 5A 9P)

ROAD TO THE PACIFIC REGIONAL
Semifinal: defeated Thompson-Okanagan 2-0 (5-2, 6-2)
BCFMAAA championship: defeated Fraser Valley 2-0 (3-0, 2-1 OT)

Last national championship appearance: none
Total national championship appearances: none

ST. ALBERT SLASH
AFHL CHAMPIONS

Regular season record: 21-8-1 (2nd in AFHL)
Goals for: 85
Goals against: 45
Leading scorer: Madison Willan (13G 13A 26P)

Playoff record: 5-1
Goals for: 17
Goals against: 9
Leading scorer: McKenzie Hewett (7G 0A 7P)

ROAD TO THE PACIFIC REGIONAL
Qualifying series: defeated Edmonton 2-0 (2-0, 3-1)
Preliminary round: 2-1 (second place) (defeated Red Deer 3-2 OT, defeated Lloydminster 3-0, lost to Rocky Mountain 4-3)
AFHL championship game: defeated Rocky Mountain 3-2 OT

Last national championship appearance: 2017 (gold medal)
Total national championship appearances: 2 (2011, 2017)

For more information:

Esther Madziya
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 284-6484 

[email protected] 

Spencer Sharkey
Manager, Communications
Hockey Canada

(403) 777-4567

[email protected]

Jeremy Knight
Manager, Corporate Communications
Hockey Canada

(647) 251-9738

[email protected]

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