With only one game remaining on their schedule, the Cochrane Chaos are preparing for the Alberta Junior Female Hockey League (AJFHL) playoffs.
With a 23-4 record, the Chaos currently sit second in both the South Division and the AJFHL just two points back of the Central Alberta Amazon who currently have a record of 23-5, with two of those losses coming in overtime. The Chaos have a game in hand over the Amazons due to a game with the Calgary Warriors being rescheduled to Feb. 20. Cochrane has been dominate in the second half of the year, winning 16 of their last 17 games, the loss came on Jan. 14 when the Chaos dropped a 6-3 decision to the Edmonton Wolves.
The Chaos continued their tremendous play in a pair of road games on Feb. 10 and 11.
The Chaos’ first of two kicked off in Calgary against the Warriors. The contest started out as a close battle with the score being 2-1 after the first, but Cochrane would soon take over, firing 90 shots on the Warriors’ goaltender and pumping in another five goals over the second and third frame, beating Calgary by a score of 7-1. Only five Chaos players finished the game without a point as Ciara McDonald and Melanie Scholz both scored twice and Ryann Altwasser, Audrey Buston and Karly Dwyer also scored for the visitors. Megan Parkyn improved to 12-2 on the year after making 28 saves in the game.
The following day, the Chaos travelled to Lethbridge to tangle with the 6-22 Eagles. It was a scoreless first period, but the game opened up in the final two periods with a combined eight goals between the two squads. Cochrane won the game 5-3. Karly Dwyer added to her goal totals, scoring twice in the game with Summer Gibbons and Brette Matheson also scoring. Mattheson was very strong on the night, adding two assists with her goal to give her three points on the afternoon. Jenna Weseen stopped 22 of the 25 shots she faced.
With a combined 12 goals in two games, the Chaos have now outscored their opponents 111-43 on the season. Leading scorer Breanna Martin, who has 13 goals and 13 assists translating into 26 points in 27 games said the Chaos have a very balanced attack and great goaltending.
“We’ve been able to put the puck in the back of the net and both Jenna (Weseen) and Megan (Parkyn) have really showed their strength in goal all year long,” said Martin.
With the rescheduled game against the Warriors upcoming, the Chaos have a chance to lock down the league’s number one seed heading into the playoffs.
“It’s very important for us to win this upcoming game against the Warriors, finishing in first place is what we’ve been striving for since the beginning of the year,” said Martin.
“If we continue to play like we have these past few weeks, I think we will be successful.”
Puck drop for the game against the Warriors will go at 7:30 p.m. at the Cochrane Arena.
