MIDDLETON - Katie Menzies’ goal from Kennedy Burns 3:20 into the first period turned out to be the winner for the West Kings Wolverines as they blanked the Middleton Monarchs 5-0 in Valley High School Girls Hockey League action Jan. 14.
And while Menzies got the puck by MRHS netminder Ryean Emmett, the diminutive Middleton goalie may well have been the star of the game as she turned away shot after shot from the fast-skating, hard-shooting West Kings forwards.
Menzies proved to be the Wolverines’ hottest attacker as she dropped the puck in again midway through the frame in a solo effort, and completed the hat trick with another goal with just over a minute left in the third period with help from Leah Aalders.
Aalders notched goals in both the first and second periods from Emily Bishop and Sarah Morgan respectively to round out the scoring.
The contest was a far cry from the Jan. 12 game between the two teams when the Wolverines whipped the Monarchs 9-0 in Kingston. The Auburn team was in second place in the Valley High School Girls Hockey League with Sunday night’s win over Middleton, putting the Monarchs in seventh spot in the 10-team league.
“They had a huge improvement since the last game,” said Middleton coach Jenna Reid. “Friday we played with three defense, we were running one man short. Tonight having that extra player made a big difference.”
Reid gave Emmett high marks for her game between the pipes.
“She’s phenomenal,” said Reid. “We’re the luckiest team to have a goalie like her. No doubt.”
With an unerring glove hand and deadly blocker Emmett kept it a game for Middleton, filling the net well despite her size and as coach Reid said, “she’s got such great movement in there.”
The Monarchs’ game picked up in the second and third periods. While they didn’t take it to the West Kings end enough to test goalie Netanya Backhouse, they were able to break up the Wolverines’ play enough to keep the visitors to a goal each in those frames.
In the final period the Monarchs improved their passing game, keeping possession instead of dumping the puck, and hitting the open wingers. The final Menzies goal was a hard shot that Emmett blocked, only to have the puck take an odd bounce and dribble over her shoulder.
The Monarchs hit the road to Yarmouth this week with a pair of back-to-back games against Yarmouth Vikings and Barrington Barons at the Mariners Centre at 12 noon and 3:30 p.m. respectively. On Jan. 20 the Monarchs travel to Canning to meet Northeast Kings at 9 p.m.
The Avon View Avalanche leads the league with a 10-0 record, followed by West Kings, Park View, Central Kings, Yarmouth, Bridgetown, Middleton, Horton, Northeast Kings, and Barrington.
