Jefferson Hagen
MacEwan Athletics
EDMONTON – Returning to play after double bye weekends – a unique pandemic schedule format – is challenging, to say the least.
It will have been 20 days between games when the MacEwan women's hockey team gets back on the ice this weekend at Saskatchewan (Friday, 6 p.m. MT and Saturday, 4 p.m. MT, both Canada West TV presented by Co-op).
At least they have experience doing it before … with success.
Back in November, the Griffins beat Calgary 4-3 and had to wait 20 days before visiting Trinity Western University, where they recorded a 2-0 shutout victory.
This time, the Griffins (6-8-0-0) will try to hang onto the momentum gained off a 2-1 win over Manitoba on Jan. 15 in facing Saskatchewan (9-5-2-0).
"It's been a tough season for that where we've been given back-to-back byes both the first half and this half," said MacEwan head coach Lindsay McAlpine. "It's tough coming off a big weekend against U of M and having to face two weekends off and matching up against U of S who have come off two really big wins against U of A.
"I think the first period, we've got to weather the storm a little bit. But we know what to expect from U of S. We had the luxury of playing that team in preseason a few times. I think the girls are ready to go."
Indeed, the Griffins met the Huskies twice in non-conference action – losing 5-3 and 3-1 decisions to them on Sept. 24 and Oct. 2, respectively.
"Sask plays with a ton of pace," said McAlpine of a team that beat the Pandas 2-1 and 3-0 their last weekend out on Jan. 21-22. "We've addressed it the last two weeks. Not only are they a fast-skating team, they move the puck well, they forecheck hard, they've got D that are dangerous up top.
"So, we're expecting two really tough games, but the players are ready."
If MacEwan can find the form that stymied and frustrated the Manitoba Bisons in that Jan. 15 victory, they'll give Saskatchewan all they can handle. That victory was a defensive clinic in how to take away time and space.
"That's our strength and we talked about that again this week," said McAlpine. "If you look at the stats, we are in the top grouping for penalty kill percentage (89.1 per cent, third in Canada West) and goals against (36, 6th).
"Offence is not our strength, so we're going to continue to focus on the D side of the game, shut them down and keep them outside, and hope we can get some bounces offensively."
The Griffins enter the weekend two points back of idle Calgary (7-9-0-0) for the sixth and final playoff spot in Canada West, but they have two games in hand.
