Bears captain Brooklyn Anderson leads the fly-by after scoring her first goal in Sunday’s win over the Weyburn Gold Wings. Jeff D’Andrea/paNOW Staff

By Jeff D'Andrea

Brooklyn's Bears

Anderson leading her Bears from the front

Oct 6, 2019 | 4:01 PM

The two goals Brooklyn Anderson scored in Sunday’s 3-0 win over the Weyburn Gold Wings tell you everything you need to know about this year’s captain for the Prince Albert Northern Bears.

Her first goal shows off her physicality and relentlessness. She won a battle in front of the net, crashed the crease and banged home the Bears’ first goal of the night in the opening period.

Anderson showed off her skill on her second goal, toe-dragging to find the tiny morsel of space between three Gold Wings defenders, before rifling one bar down and in.

It’s the grit mixed in with the glam that Anderson, who hails from nearby Shellbrook, has played with since she joined the team as a rookie in their championship winning 2016-17 season. This year, Anderson is counted on to lead from the front.

“It means a lot. I know growing up, I always looked up to the Bears. After four years of finally making it, I knew that being a captain and one of the leaders was something I wanted to work towards,” Anderson said. “Now that I’m finally here, I just want to be a leader for the team and show the rookies what they’re capable of doing.”

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Anderson played with three players that were big inspirations to her for not only being a player, but also a team leader.

“My first year, Brooke Hobson was our captain and she was definitely an inspiration to me,” Anderson said. “And playing with Abby Soyko and Kate Ball the last few years, they’re definitely power forwards that I look up to. Hopefully I can be like them, and show the younger girls how to play the game.

One big thing that makes Anderson a suitable captain for the Bears is her ability to carry the room, along with her assistant captains in Jasper Desmarais, Jesse Herner and Kailey Ledoux.

“She’s just a vocal leader,” Bears head coach Jeff Willoughby said. “The dressing room is tight, they’re a tight-knit group and that all starts with Brooklyn, and Jasper and Jesse and Kailey Ledoux. But Brooklyn is driving the bus when the coaches aren’t around and she knows that. So far, she’s doing a good job.”

On top of Anderson scoring a pair of goals, Bears defender Tori MacDonald had a goal and an assist. Dani Day got her first Midget AAA shutout, making all 19 saves she faced.

The Bears swept the Gold Wings in both games they played this weekend, 5-0 on Saturday and 3-0 on Sunday. They don’t play another league game until Nov. 8 when they head down to Weyburn to play three games from Nov. 8-10. In the meantime, the Bears will play an exhibition match against the Lloydminster Steelers on Oct. 22 at the Art Hauser Centre. The puck will drop at 6:50 p.m.

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Jeff.dandrea@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW