It hasn’t been an ideal start for the U15 AAA Female Interlake Lightning.
The Lightning are currently seventh of eight teams in the U15 AAA Manitoba Female Hockey League with a 1-8 record and have been outscored 41-7 through nine contests.
That being said, a hot start isn’t what head coach Allan Ward and staff expected heading into the season.
The Lightning are playing in only the second season in franchise history since after starting up last year and Allan is looking at it as a development year.
Through their first nine games, it’s been exactly that. The Lightning are just trying to stay competitive and have had arguably the toughest schedule of any team so far, playing the league’s top three teams in five of their games already.
“It’s not the start we were hoping for but at the same time it’s only the second year for this hockey program and we’re trying to develop it,” said Ward. “Could it be a challenging year for wins and losses, yes, but as a whole the progress we we’re seeing is pretty good.”
Ward said he’d like to see the Lightning get around seven victories this season and head into the playoffs playing their best hockey of the season.
Still with 19 regular season games remaining, the Lightning still have a fair amount of time to get some wins on the board.
Their hopes of moving up in the standings will likely depend on getting their offence going as goaltending has been their strong suit so far.
In net the Lightning have both Emma Cassils and Jordan Brewer. Cassils is currently one of the top goalies statistically in the league with a .926 save percentage and the most saves of any goaltender in the league (250).
As for Brewer, she was also busy in her first three games before going down with injury in October.
Now with Brewer almost ready to return, Ward has the confidence he can put either in net and they will get a positive result.
“Our goaltending is really strong,” said Ward. “They give us a chance to win every time we step on the ice and it’s only going to get better. We give up scoring chances so they see a lot of play so that’s a strong point for our team for sure.”
The Lightning are now getting set for two more games this weekend before a month-long break from regular season play.
The first this weekend will go against a team they’ve got to know well early in the season, the Eastman Selects, who currently sit second in the league.
In two meetings with the Selects this season the Lightning have been outscored 14-1 for two losses.
With another chance to see what they’ve learned, Ward said he wants to see more control out of his team against a high-powered Selects offence.
“The last two times we played them we’ve been heavily outplayed,” said Ward. “It’s looking at what is a successful game for us. It’s exiting our zone more cleanly and not getting hemmed in for five or six minutes at a time, that’s what’s hampered us. Looking at that game it’s something that we can be seeing as a positive if we can carry a bit of the play instead of reacting to everything that’s coming at us.”
Puck drop in that one will go at 7 p.m. this Saturday at Ste. Agathe Arena. The Lightning will then get to host the Yellowhead Chiefs on Sunday during Female Hockey Day at Veterans Memorial Sports Complex.
All three Interlake Lightning Female hockey clubs will be in action that day with the Stonewall Blues Female clubs also playing games that day.
The Lightning will play in the 3:45 p.m. slot against the Chiefs who currently sit fifth in the league.
The Lightning are hoping they can put on a good show for the fans and future U15 Lightning players in attendance.
The U13 AA Female Interlake Lightning split their weekend games with a 2-1 win over the Brandon Wheat Kings on Friday and a 2-1 loss to the Pembina Valley Hawks on Saturday. They currently sit fourth with a 3-3 record.
Next game: Saturday, Nov. 16 at Pembina Valley Hawks, 7:30 p.m. at Oak Bluff Recreation Club
The U13 AA Male Interlake Lightning lost 5-2 to the Eastman Selects Grey on Friday night in Stonewall. They currently sit 15th with a 2-2 record.
Next game: Saturday, Nov. 16 at Winnipeg Bruins White, 2:10 p.m. at Dakota Community Centre
The U15 AA Male Interlake Lightning tied 3-3 with the Winnipeg Bruins White on Saturday at East End. They currently sit 11th with a 2-3-1-1 record.
Next game: Thursday, Nov. 14 at U15 Bruins Gold, 8:15 p.m. at East End Arena
The U15 AAA Male Interlake Lightning lost 4-2 to the Yellowhead Chiefs on Saturday afternoon in Arborg. They currently sit fifth in the Central Division with a 3-8 record.
Next game: Friday, Nov. 15 vs Winnipeg Thrashers Blues, 7:45 p.m. at Warren Arena
The U17 AAA Male Interlake Lightning defeated the Ice Bandits 4-2 on Saturday afternoon in Arborg. They currently sit seventh with a 3-7-3 record.
Next game: Saturday, Nov. 23 vs Winnipeg Wild, 7:30 p.m. at Warren Arena
The U18 AAA Female Interlake Lightning had the week off of games. They currently sit ninth with a 0-8-0-0-1 record.
Next game: Saturday, Nov. 16 at Pilot Mound Buffaloes, 11:30 a.m. at Pilot Mound Millennium Recreation Complex
The U18 AAA Male Interlake Lightning lost both road games to the Southwest Cougars by scores on 8-2 on Saturday and 5-3 on Sunday. They currently sit ninth with a 5-6-1-1-2 record.
Next game: Friday, Nov. 15 vs Norman Northstars, 7 p.m. at Teulon-Rockwood Arena
