Johnston stones Olympiens

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This article was published 17/03/2022 (1461 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Collège Jeanne-Sauvé Olympiens are by far the most talented team in the Winnipeg Women’s High School Hockey League.

But even the best of the best can fall victim to a red-hot goalie in post-season action.

The Olympiens, who were 26-1-0 on the year heading into Wednesday night, had a chance to hoist the WWHSHL’s Division 1 trophy — the Wayne Thompson Cup — but the underdog J.H. Bruns Broncos and Grade 12 goalie Katrina Johnston had other plans.

In a thrilling, double-overtime affair, J.H. Bruns outlasted CJS 3-2 in Game 2 of the championship series at the Bell MTS Iceplex to force a winner-take-all Game 3. The two sides meet again today at the Iceplex at 6:45 p.m.

The Olympiens, who won Game 1 thanks to a hat trick from star forward Norah Collins, outshot the Broncos 38-21 Wednesday night, but Johnston stood on her head. Collins, a University of Manitoba Bisons recruit with the third most points in the league, was held off the scoresheet in Game 2.

“It was pretty nerve-racking and a pretty tiring game, but I mean, it’s exciting that we pulled off the win. I just had to stay calm throughout the game to help my team bring it home there,” said Johnston. “When you get lots of shots like that and you’re able to save the majority of them, it’s a good feeling. The team winning is another level up on that.”

The other hero for Bruns was defender Avery Lazarenko who ripped the game-winner in three-on-three play in the fifth period past CJS netminder Stephanie Beaudet. Bruns went 13-6-3 in the regular season to head into the post-season as the No. 3 seed and needed three games to get past the Centre scolaire Léo-Rémillard Renards in the semifinal.

“This is a huge confidence booster,” said Bruns head coach Maeve Savage.

“We know CJS is a very strong team. They talk about the talent they have on their team. We have no Triple A players, but we have players that play with heart. Our girls, as you can hear from the dressing room, are pretty excited. No matter the outcome (Thursday), this is a huge win.”

An extremely unlucky deflection for Bruns late in the second frame led to Annika Devine opening the scoring for CJS. The score remained 1-0 in favour of the favourites until 4:27 left in the third when Broncos forward Ava Memka tied things up. The blue and yellow didn’t get to celebrate for long as Olivia Price notched a goal at the three-minute mark for the Olympiens to put them back in front. It looked like Price’s goal was going to be enough for CJS to claim its first WWHSHL crown since 2015-16, but Bruns fought back and got a clutch marker from their goalie’s sister, Isabella Johnston, to make it 2-2 and drag the game into overtime.

“We just got to keep playing the game we’ve been playing all season,” said CJS head coach Melissa Blaine.

“We’ve got to figure out this goalie and put the puck in the net. It’s as simple as that. She sees the puck and she stops it. We’ve got to find a way to make it work… It was emotionally exhausting and physically exhausting for the girls. It’s a tough one, it stings, but we’ve got to regroup for (tonight).”

The Broncos feel like they’re playing with house money at this point. They played the last WWHSHL season, which was the 2019-20 campaign as last year was cancelled owing to COVID-19, in Division 2 and were just hoping they could be in the middle of the pack in top division this year. So much for that, as they’re now one game away from ending their season in storybook fashion.

“We’re just excited with where we are, honestly. We’re in the finals and we got it to three games. I’m just so proud of these girls,” Savage said. “I wanted this for our Grade 12s and I just want it for all of our players. I have no expectations except for them to play hard and have fun.”

Regardless who wins, it will be a fresh set of faces as the reigning three-time champs, the No. 2-seeded St. Mary’s Flames, were ousted by the Vincent Massey Trojans in the quarterfinal in three games. J.H. Bruns, however, has a shot at history as the school has never won the WWHSHL’s top prize. Their best result in recent memory was a finals appearance in Division 2 back in 2016-17.

“We’re ready to come out tomorrow with the same energy, same confidence, and just give them a good game,” Johnston said.

“For my senior year, to win the championship in Div. 1… to win it would be pretty amazing.”

taylor.allen@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @TaylorAllen31