The Diamond Energy Female Midget AAA Wildcats' season came to a close last night in heart-breaking fashion, though they didn't go down without a fight.

The stage was set for a must-win in Game 4 of the Wildcats' best-of-five league semi-final series with the Regina Rebels.

Swift Current did a good job of sensing the urgency in the game, coming out flying in the first period.

Though the first frame passed by scoreless, it was the Wildcats who controlled the pace, out-shooting the Rebels 8-5, with the bulk of those eight opportunities of the high-quality variety.

But, the rhythm seemed to take a couple steps back in the second period as, with Swift on the powerplay in the early stages of the frame, the Rebels streaked down on a short-handed rush and buried the game's first goal.

"We had a really good first period, gave up that short-handed goal, and that was really the momentum-changer," said head coach Terry Pavely. "After that, that second period was a train-wreck. We were just trying to not look and see the carnage that was going to happen."

Then, with under eight minutes to go in the middle frame, a wrister from the point made it a 2-0 margin favouring Regina.

Swift Current had the opportunities to respond, but were unable to capitalize on four powerplays in the second period, including 23 seconds of 5-on-3 play.

Though, as was the case with the first intermission, again a different Wildcats team hit the ice after the second intermission - this time back to their first-period form.

Carissa Hogan erased the zero on the board 1:18 into the third, breaking free at the top of the left circle, tossing a wrister upstairs over the shoulder of Rebels' netminder Chantel Weller.

Then, three-and-a-half minutes of gameplay later, the Rebels found themselves on the powerplay, though it was the Wildcats who struck.

Captain Taylor Lind broke free in the neutral zone on the PK, walked around a Rebels defender on a 1-on-1 in Regina's end, wrapped around behind the net on her forehand, and just tucked the puck inside the post, and past the quickly-closing pad of Weller.

That made it 2-2 with over 14 minutes remaining in regulation, though the game-winner wasn't to be found in that time frame.

Into OT the game went, with the teams pushing play back-and-forth for the first four minutes of added time.

Then, with 5:47 remaining in OT, a harmless puck trickled out in front of the Wildcats' crease, where the away team got the most-favourable of bounces.

"We got down, and I give our kids credit - we came back, and we battled really hard in the third and overtime," said Pavely. "But, bad break, hits a stick, hits a goalie, goes in in overtime, and that's usually what happens."

The game-winner handed Regina the 3-2 OT effort, and a 3-1 series win, advancing to the league final series.

"We're not disappointed in our kids' effort or compete today, our execution maybe left something to be desired, but when you look at the season as a whole, it was a good year," said Pavely. "We won more than we lost... unfortunately a tough break ends it."

Amaya Giraudier made 26 saves in the season finale for the Wildcats.


The loss ends a bit of an up-and-down season for Swift Current, who amassed a 15-10-2-1 record in the regular season to clinch the third seed.

The Wildcats struggled to a 6-9-0-1 record in regular-season games against the top-seeded Saskatoon Stars, second-seeded Rebels, fourth-seeded Prince Albert Northern Bears, and fifth-seeded Notre Dame Hounds.

Meanwhile, against the sixth-seeded Battlefords Sharks, seventh-seeded Melville Prairie Fire, and last-place Weyburn Gold Wings, Swift Current dominated with a 9-1-2-0 mark.

"That was kind of our M.O. this year - if we played the lower teams, we had our way with them," said Pavely. "But, we struggled against the good teams - [Regina] is a good team. We just can't find a way to beat them regularly enough. To expect to beat a good team in a series, it's hard when you haven't done it all year."

Despite the rollercoaster season, the Wildcats still left themselves in a position to run the table in their series against Regina, and claw their way into the post-season.

"Overall, we'll reflect on it and we're happy with the season, but yet disappointed as we thought maybe we could make a little bit of a run. I guess it wasn't meant to be this year," said Pavely.

The Wildcats are set to graduate seven players (four forwards, two defencemen, one goalie) from this year's roster, along with 121 of 268 regular-season points (45 percent).

F - Taylor Lind 'C'
F - Carissa Hogan
F - Brynne Doerksen 'A'
F - Layne Hryhoriw
D - Kate Wagner
D - Tobi Fontaine
G - Harper Davey

Lind, Hogan, Doerksen, and Davey all suited up the past three seasons with Swift Current, while Hryhoriw played the last pair in the southwest, and both Fontaine and Wagner donning the Wildcats blue only in their grade 12 season.

They exit the program having contributed the following stats, combining the regular season and playoffs, to the program:

Lind - 189 points (102 G, 87 A) in 100 games over three seasons
Hogan - 61 points (27 G, 34 A) in 96 games over three seasons
Doerksen - 19 points (4 G, 15 A) in 94 games over three seasons
Davey - 18-24 record, 2.92 goals-against-average, .882 save-percentage, 4 shutouts in 47 appearances over three seasons
Hryhoriw - 28 points (12 G, 16 A) in 66 games over two seasons
Wagner - 10 points (3 G, 7 A) in 32 games over one season
Fontaine - 11 points (5 G, 6 A) in 22 games over one season

"All the kids that come through here, when they graduate, you hope they leave a mark. I think they all do in one way or another," said Pavely, noting of the now-former Wildcats.

"Some of the kids are phenomenal kids, and excellent teammates. Some kids are more skilled, and they leave their mark on the ice a little bit more than others," he added. "But, they've all contributed to making our program a good program, and hopefully one that continues to be a force in the league."