The first-placed NAIT Ooks women's hockey team begins their quest at an ACAC Championship this weekend. The Ooks dominated the league for most of the year, winning 15 of their 20 games played. The Ooks were a defensive juggernaut, allowing a league-low 30 goals. The team also had no problem finding the back of the net, leading in goals scored with 61. The Ooks will have home ice throughout the playoffs, and Head Coach Brendan Jensen knows how vital the home crowd can be.
"Having home ice is a definite advantage come playoff time. We love to play at home and will try to use it to our advantage," Jensen said.
The Ooks have an opportunity at redemption this year as they face the Olds Broncos in the first round, the team who eliminated them in last year's semi-finals. The Ooks have turned things around against Olds this year, winning five of the six meetings, with their lone loss coming in a shootout. The Ooks have outscored Olds 16-5, including three shutout victories. During their season series, Ook forward Cassidy Shandro led the club with four goals and five points. Goaltender Kaitlyn Slator was remarkable in the three games she suited up for. She stopped 61 of 62 shots with an out-of-this-world .983 save percentage and two shutouts.
The Ooks rely heavily on their elite talent to provide offence. Cheyanna Harden led the team with 20 points, while forwards Bre Martin and Michaella Kibblewhite were not far behind with 17 and 16 points each. All three finished top five in the ACAC in scoring. Jensen knows how important it is to get contributions from up and down the lineup come playoff time.
"We have depth at all three positions and hope to see it on full display this postseason," Jensen said.
The Broncos' one wild card is their goalie, Cienna Kinghorn. She was outstanding in four games played verse the Ooks this season. She averaged 39.5 shots per game in her starts, but that didn't phase her. She had a .949 save percentage and frustrated the Ooks when she was between the pipes with her desperation ability. She also led the ACAC in saves by a large margin with 480, 100 more than the following tender. Even though she faced plenty of rubber, she still found a way to post an impressive .925 save percentage, which ranked her fourth in the league.
The Ooks are a confident group heading into playoffs and know what it takes to compete with the best. They have no glaring holes throughout their lineup and can win multiple ways, whether that's shutting down the opposition's offence or outscoring them in a track meet affair. Jensen and his club are ready to showcase their talent on the ACAC's biggest stage.
"We feel really good about our game heading into the first round. This is an exciting time of the year to play, and I believe our team is ready for the challenge ahead," Jensen said.
The series commences on Friday night at the NAIT Ooks arena. The teams hit the road for game two in Olds on Saturday night. Games one and two are scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. puck drop. If the series goes the distance, the Ooks will return home for a winner takes all game three on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. You can catch all the action on ACAC streaming services and stay current on the ACAC website.