LLOYDMINSTER -- The message was clear for the Saskatoon Stars heading into their final round robin game at the Esso Cup female U18 AAA national hockey championship.
Win and you’re in.
So that’s exactly what the Stars went out and did against the Atlantic representative Eastern Stars on Thursday afternoon, rolling to an 8-1 victory to close out the preliminary round in Lloydminster.
As a result, Saskatoon finishes with a 2-1-1-1 record in the round robin and in third place in the six-team tournament. They’ll now face the second place North York Storm in the semifinal on Friday at a time to be determined.
It wasn’t a perfect start for the West representatives on Thursday, as Eastern’s Taylor Hunter scored the game’s opening goal only 2:51 into the proceedings.
It was smooth sailing for Saskatoon from there, though, as two goals from Halle Duchene sandwiched another marker from Mikayla Broadfoot and they’d go into the first intermission with a 3-1 lead.
Saskatoon ran into some penalty trouble to start the second, taking three straight minors in a span of just over three minutes, but their penalty kill would come up huge and preserve the two-goal edge.
Shayla Koroll then made it a 4-1 game with 9:27 to play in the second, and with the way things were going for Saskatoon, it was all but academic from there.
Kolbee Ashe increased the lead to four goals 2:49 into the third and then added her second of the game just under two minutes later for a 6-1 Saskatoon lead.
Duchene and Ashe each then finished off their respective hat tricks, with Duchene scoring Saskatoon's second power play marker with 1:37 remaining.and Ashe netting their third with the man advantage with 45 seconds to play.
Tarynn Sutter turned aside 28 shots to earn the win in goal for Saskatoon, Olivia Lowe had 29 stops for Eastern.
The semifinal between Saskatoon and North York will take place at either 3 p.m. or 7 p.m., pending the outcome of the final round robin game between the host Lloydminster Steelers and Quebec representative Etoiles de Laurentides-Lanaudiere.
Be sure to check for the final semifinal schedule once it’s updated later this evening.
