Jefferson Hagen, MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – A lesson is etched in history for the veteran members of the MacEwan Griffins women's hockey team.
Harkening back to their first of three-straight Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference championships in 2016-17, the Griffins held a 2-0 series lead over the SAIT Trojans and had an opportunity to win it at home in Game 3.
They came out flat and were forced to eventually win the series on the road in Calgary in Game 4.
In 2018, they won the championship in Game 4 in Red Deer and last year the Griffins celebrated at NAIT Arena.
So, currently leading the NAIT Ooks 2-0 in the 2019-20 ACAC Championship series, the Griffins have another chance to clinch a title at home in Game 3 on Friday (7 p.m., Downtown Community Arena, ACAC TV). They enter the contest on an ACAC record 18-game winning streak.
"I know our first year when we played SAIT we had a chance to win it at home and I think it went to our heads and we just did not show up that game to play," said veteran forward Jill MacWilliam, one of 13 Griffins who were also on the team that night against SAIT three years ago.
"It was really frustrating and kind of disheartening not to be able to win it at home that night. Hopefully everyone remembers that feeling and will show up Friday ready to play.
Head coach Lindsay McAlpine stresses that as great as it would be to win the championship at home, winning it anywhere is the key message going into the weekend. If necessary, Game 4 of the series would go Saturday (6 p.m., NAIT Arena, ACAC TV) and Game 5 on Sunday (6 p.m., Downtown Community Arena, ACAC TV).
"Any time you can have an opportunity to wrap the series up in three, that would be an ideal situation," she said. "I think, in reality, what we're looking to do is just come out this year as champions, regardless if it takes three games or five.
"We know NAIT's going to push back hard in a do-or-die game for them, so that's what we're going to expect on Friday night, and we need to be prepared for it."
MacEwan's goaltenders Brianna Sank and Natalie Bender have combined to blank the Ooks so far in the series and are sharing a playoff shutout streak that's now reached 116 minutes and 10 seconds, stretching back to their semifinal sweep of SAIT. They've played well behind the Griffins' dominant team defensive effort.
"We've been really focusing on being defence out, focusing on defence first and offence will come later," said MacWilliam. "We've been really good on our swarm and blocking shots. We've just got to continue that going into the third game."
Still, it's a wonder they've been able to hold the Ooks quiet for as long as they have, considering NAIT averaged 2.67 goals per game during the regular season (and 2.17 per game against the Griffins during six regular season meetings).
"From the outset of our season, our team always talks about defence first and from the net out first," said McAlpine. "It's been successful for us in the past and something that we've done so well this year – we've got the lowest goals against.
"On the flip side for us, as much as we stress that defence-first, we've actually done an excellent job of putting the puck in the net. We're also the team with the most goals for. NAIT's a very offensive team. They have a line that continues to threaten every time out. So, we just need to hone in and use our solid defensive principles."
If they can do that, the carrot they're chasing is a historic one. No team in the history of ACAC women's hockey has ever won four championships in a row. If they could accomplish that, it would be the ultimate launching pad into Canada West next season.
"That's the icing on the cake for this one – to go four straight and end our run in the ACAC here on that note," said McAlpine.
