The Cochrane Chaos came up short in their south final playoff series against the Lethbridge Eagles over the weekend, marking an early end to what has been a stellar season in the Alberta Junior Female Hockey League.
The team lost the best of three equalizer they needed in Game 2 on March 6 by 2-3, after losing the series opener the weekend before.
"It was a really good season and it was just a sad way to end it this early," said head coach Derek Loomer. "We have a team that was capable of going all the way and Lethbridge just really, really stepped up their game and played super hard."
Assisted by Chaos forward Meryck Mucenski, defence Teagan Rose was first to score with a goal within less than five minutes of game time. The team held its lead for the next 20 minutes before Eagles forward Skylar Colonna tied it up.
"It was a very innocent play — a one on two," said Loomer. "Colonna gets across the blue line and just rips a shot to beat our goalie [Cassidy Brown] from the outside, which never happens."
In the third, the Eagles scored two more, one of which the coach said "took a funny hop" off the back board to bounce off Brown's skate and land in the net.
Down by two, the Chaos emptied their net to lead a six-person attack with three minutes left in the game.
Team captain and left-winger Kaley Mueller, assisted by teammates Brooklyn Carels and Teah Workman, shot the last goal of the Chaos' season on a power play, with just over two minutes remaining. They were unable to clinch one more to tie it up and bring the game into overtime.
"After a loss like like that, the team kind of pulls together just so that we can make that time to mourn the season coming to an end like that," said Loomer. "But there was also recognition of the accomplishments we did have this season.
"It's very disappointing to have an objective in mind, the capability to do it and to come up short, but that's just how it goes sometimes."
The team finished their regular season with a record of 26-2, had a bye in quarterfinals and then went on to beat the Calgary Jags 2-0 in semis before facing Lethbridge — one of the only two teams they lost to all year.
With four equally skilled lines, Loomer said many teams were unable to compete with the Chaos' depth to match them line for line.
"We had a very balanced scoring attack and had a number of girls with 10 goals each and 20 points throughout our lineup," he said. "The way we win our games is through a very aggressive and consistent application of pressure throughout the lineup and each game."
The players also keep a positive attitude on the bench by supporting each other and coming to the rink to work hard and have fun.
"When you put that formula together, you have a lot of success," Loomer said.
Chaos forward Sarah Gaiser ends her season with 48 points, the most of any other player in the league so far. Her goal-tending teammates Cassidy Brown and Ella Fournier finished their season second and third for amount of shots saved with an average of 92 per cent.
From the stands to the staff at Spray Lake Sawmills Family Sports Centre and other teams, Loomer said the community support has been unrivalled. The adoption of the Chaos brand by Cochrane Minor Hockey girls' teams this year is especially exciting for the coach.
"Looking at the Junior Chaos program, it creates a lot of enthusiasm for myself because I really look forward to those younger girls coming up into an age group where they can potentially play for us," he said.
The team will lose at least five players due to age outs next year and Loomer expects seven or eight new recruits next year will be a fair target.
The Chaos host a spring training camp at the end of April and will be looking for girls that are eager and ready to hit the ice for a 28-game season and for twice a week practice.
"Players have to want to continue to get better," said Loomer. "When you're attracting girls like that, it's easier for the team to work through game plans, the energy on the ice, the desire to be there and the camaraderie that comes with that."
