Capitals capture MFHL championship in four

The Central Plains Capitals are champions.

Central Plains capped a dominant season by defeating the Eastman Selects 3-0 in Game 4 on March 23 at Landmark Arena, securing the Manitoba Female Hockey League U15 AAA championship in four games.

Head coach Ian Lepp said the team entered the deciding game with confidence despite the Game 3 setback.

“The team seemed to have a real good energy before Game 4,” Lepp said. “We didn’t seem too discouraged about the Game 3 loss but more excited to go out and show what we could do.”

Backstopped by a stellar performance from goaltender Calleigh Duchart, who turned aside all 29 shots she faced, the Capitals delivered a clinical effort to close out the best-of-five final.

Lepp said Duchart’s performance was consistent with what the team has relied on all season.

“Calleigh has been impressive all season,” he said. “She led the league with a .936 save percentage and quite often faced 30 to 50 shots a game, so this was just another day in the office for her.”

Hailey Terrick led the way offensively with two first-period goals, including the game-winner, giving Central Plains early control of the deciding contest. Lexi Philippe added an insurance marker late in the third period, while also picking up an assist, and Kinley Legault, Brynnae Willsey and Emma Shantz each contributed helpers.

Despite being outshot 29-14, the Capitals capitalized on their chances and relied on Duchart’s steady presence in net to keep Eastman off the scoreboard.

The championship-clinching win capped a tightly contested series between the league’s top two teams. Central Plains opened the final with a 3-2 victory in Game 1 before taking a 2-0 series lead with a 3-1 win in Game 2. Eastman responded in Game 3, edging the Capitals 5-4 in overtime to extend the series.

In that Game 3 setback, Central Plains rallied from a 3-1 third-period deficit with goals from Terrick and Philippe, but Eastman’s Alexa Coulter scored the overtime winner just 52 seconds into the extra frame.

Lepp said that late push in Game 3 helped shape the team’s approach heading into the final game.

“It gave us something to build off of going into Game 4 and the team didn’t disappoint,” he said.

The Capitals regrouped for Game 4 and delivered their most complete performance of the series, shutting down a high-powered Eastman offence that had generated 39 shots in the previous game.

Terrick finished the final series as a key offensive driver for Central Plains, factoring in multiple goals across all four games, while Philippe and Legault provided consistent secondary scoring.

Central Plains entered the playoffs as one of the league’s top teams, finishing near the top of the regular-season standings with 23 wins and 48 points, and carried that momentum through to a championship finish.

Lepp said the group’s success was rooted in both talent and growth over the season.

“We had a very talented team that wanted to work hard and were willing to learn,” he said. “We had some tough losses along the way that we learned from and kept working towards getting better to try to put ourselves in a position to win the final game of the season.”

The championship roster also featured strong local representation, with Elm Creek’s Eden Lepp and Kinsley Friesen contributing throughout the playoff run, while Ian Lepp was part of the Capitals’ coaching staff. St. Claude’s Lexi Philippe played a key offensive role in the final, scoring in the championship-clinching Game 4 victory and adding an assist.

Lepp said it was meaningful to see local players share in the success.

“It’s been great being able to watch Eden and Kinsley experience the successful season together,” he said. “They have grown up playing hockey together, so it was fun to see them compete and grow as players.”

For Eden Lepp, the championship was a reward for the team’s commitment throughout the year.

“It meant a lot to win a championship with this team,” she said. “Everyone worked so hard throughout the year. We really worked to keep the positivity up and have everyone working as a team.”

She said the difference in Game 4 came from a stronger mindset and start.

“Our goal was to have a really strong start and keep the energy up all game,” Eden said. “I felt a lot more confident and focused in Game 4, which made a big difference.”

In the final minutes, she said the team stayed focused on the task at hand.

“I was taking everything shift by shift and trying not to think about the end result too much,” she said. “But I definitely was super excited when the game was over.”

With the victory, the Capitals solidified their place as the top U15 AAA female team in the province, combining timely scoring, disciplined team play and standout goaltending when it mattered most.