Bears goaltender Brooke Archer controls a puck in front of her crease while under pressure. (Jeff D'Andrea/paNOW Staff)

By Jeff D’Andrea

Bears Hockey

Bears’ backs against the wall after Game 2 loss to Stars

Mar 6, 2022 | 8:35 PM

The Prince Albert Northern Bears have their backs against the wall and are in danger of getting eliminated in the opening round of the Saskatchewan Female U18 AAA Hockey League playoffs.

The Bears lost 6-2 to the Saskatoon Stars on Sunday at the Art Hauser Centre in Game 2, after Saturday’s 7-3 defeat in Game 1 at Merlis Belsher Place. To advance to the second round, the Bears would have to win three consecutive games against the Stars to pull off a reverse sweep.

The Bears looked determined to even the series in the first period, as they dominated most of the frame, outshot the Stars 18-9, and wrote the chorus of a song with all the chimes from the posts and crossbars they hit. But despite their best efforts, the Stars had a 1-0 advantage after the first, after a clearing attempt along the boards hit a skate and bounced in front to Avery Bairos for the first goal of the game.

The Stars would get a second after a puck took and high and awkward deflection, finding its way over Bears goaltender Brooke Archer and into the Bears’ net. After all the first-period pressure being in vain and the fluky bounce goal to fall behind 2-0, that seemed to deflate the Bears.

The Stars would go on to score four more times in the second period. Jasmine Kohl stopped the bleeding with a flashy goal in front of the net late in the frame, but Kienna Higgs responded with one of her own for the Stars 61 seconds later to make it 5-1 Stars.

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Bairos scored her second of the game five minutes into the third period to make it a 6-1 lead for the Stars. Erin Kirkland scored the other Bears’ goal, late in the third period.

Game three will be back in Saskatoon on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Should the Bears win Wednesday’s contest, they would force Game 4 on March 12, 7 p.m. at the Art Hauser Centre. If necessary, Game 5 will be on March 13 at Merlis Belsher Place at 5:30 p.m.

Seven former Bears going to the ‘ship

Over the weekend, seven former Prince Albert Northern Bears learned they would head to the national USports Women’s Hockey Championships at UPEI in Charlottetown.

The University of Saskatchewan Huskies swept the Mount Royal Cougars this weekend, with 1-0 and 2-1 wins in the CanadaWest Conference Semifinals. That means that Kate Ball, Jasper Desmarais, Miranda Heidt, Jessie Herner, and Paris Oleksyn will all play in the nationals, as well as the CanadaWest Conference Finals next week against the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds.

The Thunderbirds, who have former Bears captain Hannah Koroll and Kailee Peppler patrolling their blueline, will also be heading to the nationals as well. The Thunderbirds beat the University of Alberta Pandas in two straight games.

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Jeff.dandrea@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @jeff_paNOW