Montreal 2, Markham 1: Les Canadiennes Sweep Thunder in Last Game of 2017

Emerance Maschmeyer Gets The Better Of Liz Knox In Goaltending Duel

SportsTristan D’Amours — Published December 18, 2017

After a thrilling 5-4 overtime win in Brossard the night before, the team’s second encounter at Michael Normandin arena turned into a goaltending duel on Sunday afternoon.

Of the Thunder’s Liz Knox or Les Canadiennes’ Emerance Maschmeyer, it was Montreal’s netminder who got the better of the matchup. For the second straight time in 48 hours and the fifth straight time between the two teams, the game finished in overtime and Montreal took the win once again with a final score of 2-1 after a shootout.

After saving her team a point by denying the Thunder of what was a sure goal at the very end of the overtime period, Maschmeyer went on to save all three shots she faced in the shootout session and help her team grab the win.

Having had a conversation with Erica Howe, the Thunder’s other goalie after Saturday’s game, Maschmeyer mentioned how much both teams reached overtime and gave each other the single point for losses after regulation time.

“We were saying that we’re throwing points all around. Like, everybody gets points, obviously joking around,” said Maschmeyer. “We obviously don’t want to get to overtime against them every single time but now we have confidence going forward in tight situations like that.”

Having had a high scoring matchup, the day before, the opening goal came all the way in the second half of the second period. Les Canadiennes’ newest player Erin Ambrose blocked a Thunder defender to the left of Knox.

The puck came loose towards the slot where Marion Allemoz was skating towards and sent her the puck. The Chambéry, France native’s one-timer shot beat Knox to the top right-hand corner and opened the score.

“Marion has the greatest qualities to play hockey which are: vision and hockey sense,” said Canadiennes’ head coach Danny Brunet. “She brings us an offensive contribution that we may not have seen last year in her rookie season. In her second year, we see that she can bring more offence.”

The Thunder thought they would be right back into the game with a quick comeback goal but the referees thought otherwise. In front of the net, forward Becca King was deemed to have interfered with Maschmeyer’s work and the Thunder goal was overturned. Instead of celebrating an equalizer, King was sent to the penalty box.

Halfway through the third period, the Thunder got their revenge. Left alone skating through the slot, forward Jamie Lee Rattray took a shot that beat Maschmeyer in the top right-hand corner to tie the game at 1-1.

Getting the tying goal that brought a point to their team is “huge” for Rattray, especially in the new Canadian Women’s Hockey League with expansion teams Kulun Red Star and Vanke Rays lurking up the standings. Having gathered five points points from overtime losses playing Les Canadiennes, Rattray appreciates the points despite being on the losing side.

“The teams are so close, any game is going to be a close one and especially against these guys, they will be at the top of the league probably,” said Rattray. “For us to take that many points off of them in that many games is really good for us so we take the positives as we go and move on.”

For Les Canadiennes, the weekend series sweep marks the end of the 2017 portion of their CWHL campaign. The team will resume action in Calgary where they will take on the Inferno. Montreal’s next home series will be a three-game matchup at Michel Normandin Arena against one of the two Shenzhen, China expansion teams, Vanke Rays, on Jan. 27, 28 and 30.