Jason Hills
For MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON — The game didn't mean anything in the standings, but it certainly meant something for the MacEwan Griffins.
It was Senior Night celebration as they honoured graduating players Mackenzie Dachuk, Jayme Doyle, Rylee Gluska, Shyla Kirwer and Amanda Murray, and while they finished their season with a 3-1 loss, the Griffins can certainly be proud of their effort and how they ended their season.
Alli Borrow, Emma Tait and Sophia Zuck all scored in the second period, while Allee Isley scored the lone marker for the Griffins on Saturday night at the Downtown Community Arena.
"In sports, the outcome only ever favours one team ultimately, but it's more about the process for us. I thought as the game went on, we got better," said Griffins interim head coach hris Leeming.
"We didn't have the most ideal start to our second period, and that got us behind, but we talked about being proud of the effort we put out in the third period and I thought our girls really bought into that and they left it all out there to finish the game."
The first period was filled with back-and-forth action as Griffins goaltender Brianna Sank and Dinos goalie Amelia Awad had to be at their best.
The Dinos outshot MacEwan 12-7, and Sank made arguably the best save of the season, not just for the Griffins, but throughout the entire conference.
Sank flew across and made a diving stick save with the paddle of her stick, denying Dinos forward Rebecca Clarke, midway through the opening period.
W��| FIRST
— MacEwan Griffins (@MacEwanGriffins) February 12, 2023
Amazing save!@MacEwanHockey G Brianna Sank keeps things scoreless with the @UCDinos after 20 minutes with this gem. Fellow Griffins goalie Lindsey Johnson is on the great call!@CanadaWest#GriffNation pic.twitter.com/VsDozxkM5c
Sank made 39 saves in the loss for MacEwan.
"I've said this a million times, she gives us a chance to win every single night, and she battled incredibly hard for us again today," said Leeming.
After a scoreless opening frame, the Dinos opened the scoring just 29 seconds into the second period as Borrow cashed in a loose puck in the crease for a Dinos power play marker.
Penalty trouble hurt the Griffins in the second period as they had to kill off four straight penalties, including a double-minor.
MacEwan killed off the rest of their penalties in the second period, but Calgary was able to steal momentum away.
Rebecca Thiessen lets a shot go against the Dinos on Saturday (Joel Kingston photo).
Tait would score her first goal of the season at the 5:48 mark of the period, and Zuck broke in on a two-on-one and elected to shoot and she made no mistake beating Sank with a perfect shot, top corner.
Despite the three-goal deficit, the Griffins weren't going to back down. They knew a comeback would be tough, but they were determined to finish their season on a positive note.
They certainly did as they put together one of the better periods of their season, and Isley's silky tip in from a point shot from Sydney Hughson would get the Griffins on the board with 5:07 left in the game.
W��| GOAL!��
— MacEwan Griffins (@MacEwanGriffins) February 12, 2023
Allee Isley tips Sydney Hughson's point shot under the bar for @MacEwanHockey's first goal late in the contest vs. @UCDinos. But this one will end 3-1 in favour of the visitors. Stay tuned for a recap.@CanadaWest #GriffNation pic.twitter.com/nDXuLV5KeH
"I saw a lot of second efforts in the third and that really spoke to what this group has to offer and what they're going to do in the years to come," said Kirwer.
"In all honesty we came into the second intermission and we said what do we have to lose? Let's leave it all out there. We have 20 minutes left in our season, and we played with a lot of heart and effort from our group."
It was an emotional night for the Griffins graduating players, as the team said goodbye to several of their longtime players, who had ties to their time playing in the ACAC.
"We were one of the groups who came from the ACAC, and the movement from ACAC to Canada West is really tough, but we've proved ourselves in this league. We've beat some of the top teams. I think we left a legacy in the ACAC, and I think we can leave a legacy in the Canada West as we continue to grow and build our program," said Kirwer.
"You're here until you're 18, until you're 22 or 23, and it shows the growth of evolution we've become as student-athletes. At the end of the day, we're so proud to be Griffins."
