The Diamond Energy Female Midget AAA Wildcats spent the weekend competing with some of the best female midget AAA teams in western Canada at Notre Dame's Mandi Schwartz Memorial Tournament.

Matched up in Group D of the 16-team tournament, the Wildcats started off Thursday afternoon against the Fraser Valley Rush.

In what would become a common round-robin trend, a tie was the result of the battle. The Rush and Wildcats ended 3-3, after a strong start by Swift Current.

"The first period we were really good - I think we out-shot Fraser Valley 17-4. Unfortunately, we came out tied 2-2 - that was really the difference in that hockey game," said Wildcats head coach Terry Pavely. "After really dominating them we needed to come out of that period with a lead, and we didn't. From then on in I thought the second period we were a little weaker, but the third period we were really good."

Game two for the Wildcats resulted in a 1-1 draw with the Red Deer Chiefs on Friday. Swift Current's effort in the low-scoring affair left Pavely quite pleased.

Facing off later that afternoon with Calgary's Edge School, the Wildcats rounded out the round robin with a third-consecutive tie - this time 2-2.

"We jumped out to a 2-0 lead and were really dominant again in that first period," said Swift Current's bench boss. "The second period was a little bit of a lull for us again, and I thought we played really well in the third period. When you're up 2-0 if you can get that third goal, a lot of times you're going to finish them off."

The 0-3-0 round robin meant a chance at more hockey, and the Wildcats' first game outside the group stage was also their first win of the tournament. They snuck by the Winnipeg Avros 3-2.

"We had a 3-1 lead against Winnipeg and we really needed to get that fourth goal. We let them get a second goal and they really pressured us at the end, almost tying it," Pavely said. "That's one of those things as the year goes on that we really need to learn. When we get a team in a tough spot, we really need to try to elevate even a little bit more and really try to finish them off."

Swift Current's win meant a match-up with a fellow Sask Female Midget AAA Hockey League (SFMAAAHL) opponent - the host Notre Dame Hounds.

The 2017-18 season has been a frustrating one so far for the Wildcats when facing the Hounds. In their first meeting of the season on October 13, the Wildcats were shut out in a 1-0 overtime loss. The second, on November 8, was another overtime defeat - Swift Current lost 3-2 in the extra frame on the road in Wilcox.

Saturday night's game showed little difference the third time around. Once again in front of the Notre Dame crowd, the Hounds edged the Wildcats 2-1 in regulation, despite what Terry Pavely felt was a superior performance by Swift Current.

The goaltending for the Wildcats was a notable strength in the tournament, as both Amaya Giraudier and Harper Davey combined to allow just ten goals in five games (2.00 GAA). In 14 league games so far this season, they have combined to allow 36 goals in 14 games (2.57 GAA).

With a match-up against the Saskatoon Stars (12-0-1-0) on the horizon, Pavely says goaltending is going to be one of the areas they'll need to be solid in - the Stars have scored an average of 6.54 goals per game (85 goals in 13 games).

Practice this week will be filled with game planning and cranking up the intensity while running through all aspects of their game.