Published: Saturday, 31 October 2020 00:48
Written by David Zammit

The Swift Current Innovation Credit Union Wildcats dropped their exhibition finale tonight against the visiting Notre Dame Hounds.

Hounds forward Kaitlyn Gilroy scored the game-winner on a breakaway with 9:40 left in the third period to lift her team to a 5-4 win and a 1-1 split with the Wildcats in preseason play.

Baylee Kirwan scored a pair of goals for the Wildcats in the second period, while Calli Arnold and Gracie Georget added single tally’s in the loss. Wildcats forward Ava Metzger picked up a pair of assists and rookie netminder Aurora Van Wormer made 23 saves.

Aside from Gilroy’s goal, Emma Thomas scored twice for the Hounds, with Alexia Hill and Ryann Perrett scoring too. Goalie Bailey Lindsay started for the Hounds stopping 13 of 17 shots while backup Kayla Bailey stopped all ten shots she faced.

“Slower start but we came back, like four shots in the first period, but 15 in the second, so I thought we got better as it came on,” Metzger said reflecting on the game.

The Wildcats spent some time this week in practice working on defensive zone play and although the team gave up three more goals in the game to the Hounds, the former Saskatoon Star believes the team made a step forward.

“We were better in our D zone, more stops and starts than in Notre Dame there,” she said. “More offensive shots, we had more shots today than we did last game. Just we showed up faster than last game.”

Next up for the Wildcats is a home-and-home with the Weyburn Gold Wings, beginning at 2:45 p.m. on Saturday at the Innovation Credit Union iPlex. The two clubs will then head back to Weyburn for a Sunday afternoon game.