In a game where we were only 8 skaters, the Blades took the Hurricanes by surprise and took the game in hand early.

We had only 4 Blades (Meredith, Clare, Liz and myself) and 4 subs (former Blade Niamh, plus Lisa, Wendy and Melissa) but it didn’t matter because Lisa came out hard and skated fast and gave us the early lead, 1-0, in the first couple of minutes.

The ‘Canes came back with spirit, and managed to get two goals before we got ourselves collected and Wendy got a shot off to make it 2-2.

After that, we had some scrappy moments in both ends. They got a bouncing goal past Steph and took the lead back to make it 3-2. Then the ref called a tripping penalty – which was of course, on me – but the team stepped up and killed it beautifully. Steph stood on her head and made save after save, including a really amazing sliding stop – and one with her glove that was so unbelievable that the Hurricanes were actually celebrating it as a goal until she stood up and it was clear that it was in her mitt!

In the third, Lisa and Niamh pressured up front, while Wendy skated out of our end and tied it up with her second of the night to make it 3-3. Then it was their turn to play short-handed as they took a tripping penalty and we went on the best power play we’ve had this year. Liz and Meredith had a terrific give and go down low, which ended up as a shot on net that flipped up off the goalie and Liz popped it in to give us the lead, 4-3.

We sat on that lead, skating hard for every loose puck, until Melissa, swooping out of our end, brought that puck down and roofed it over their goalie for a decisive 5-3 lead.

With two minutes to go, the ‘Canes tried to pull their goalie. But our forwards were relentless and both Clare and Wendy on D stepped it up, and they couldn’t control the puck to bring it into our zone. Their goalie was caught out, halfway to the bench, and forced to freeze the puck – and thereby took a costly penalty as she was out of her crease. We forced them back into their end for the rest of the game, and came away with an exhausting, exciting and exhilarating win!

The rain may have stopped but that meant nothing as the “Wild Blade Cats” brought a torrent of offense to Long Island last night.

With visiting players from both the Wildcats and the Quarry Cats, our mashed-up team came out ready to play, even if we couldn’t get the names quite right. It wasn’t really our fault: we had QC Karen (not to be confused with our Karyn), wearing Laurie’s old jerseys, so we had Woods and Woods on the opening face-up. On D, we had Glazer (me) with Glazer (Cassidy) and Duffy (Clare) playing with Duffy (Laura A.) Take into account that we had brought Lora D, Laura A. and Laurie with us, and really it was amazing we could figure out who anyone was! Plus they had us playing three 15 minute, mostly running-time periods and we were pretty lost before we started.

But that didn’t matter once the puck dropped, as Clare found QC Karen on a nifty outlet pass and Karen put us up 1-0. The Lipstix Ms. Dizzy came right back, out-racing all into our zone and feeding one of her wingers to put the score back even at 1-1. As the first period wound down, we played hard and skated fast, and Lora D. skated her pretty little circles in their end, feeding Cassidy for some nice on- timers, with Nina poised for the rebounds but their goalie stood up to all.

In the 2nd period, we caught a break as WC Aveline got the loose puck to QC Karen once more, and she put in her 2nd of the night – and we had taken the lead once more. We held tight to that lead going into the third, confident that a little defensive play would hold us. However, at the opening face-off, Ms. Dizzy, moved from D to center, “lost” the face-off, scooped up the puck from behind our center, split the D and headed in 1-on-1 on Steph. Steph got a good piece of it but it just squipped through, and they had tied it, 2-2.

Their celebration was short-lived, however, because they hadn’t counted on Lora D, who wasn’t about to let some Quarry Cat do all the scoring. Paired with QC Claudia at center, she moved the puck smoothly up the ice, and got one of her quick shots off – and we had the lead 3-2. We played tough after that, with both our Karyn and Laurie holding down the center positions, and keeping the puck in the other zone (hey, the best defense? a good offense…), while Cassidy skated up, down, sideways, longways, back ways until the other team really was “Dizzy.” Finally, Lora intercepted a pass, took off on got a break-a-way and beat the goalie cleanly to give us the two goal cushion we needed!

With two minutes left, they pulled the goalie and put Ms. Dizzy out front on wing. It was a good strategy and they held the puck in our end for a bit but we were tough in our end and Steph was perfect in net. In the end, QC Karen caught a bouncing puck, raced away with it down the ice – and put her third of the night into the empty net for a lovely hat-trick.

With the win firmly in our pocket, we lined up for the post-game photo and headed off to the lodge for some champagne, sushi and chatting. All in all, a perfect night of hockey!

It was a truly well-played game, from beginning to end, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen our team skate so well together.  Even going down 1-0 early in the first didn’t take us out of the game.  We came back with three unanswered goals and I don’t think there were many moments where we weren’t in control of the game after that.

The highlights were definitely our 4 goals:

Kelly, off a blast from Sarah.  Sarah took a hard shot that bounced right to Kelly’s stick – and she put it away.  Next best thing, Sarah, to scoring?  An awesome assist!

Kelly and Alyssa on a 2-on-1: Alyssa took the shot, Kelly caught the rebound and slammed it home – but the best part was Nina starting the play by tipping a loose puck in our end out to center to be scooped up for the rush.

Lora, on a feed from Sue.  Sue, filling in on D, picked up a loose puck in the slot in front of our net and flipped it up in the air straight out of the zone to Lora, who went in alone.  I think we all held our breath but it wasn’t necessary; she had it all the way.

Lora, after sustained pressure in their end, took a shot that took a crazy bounce in front of their net and went up, over and in.

Way to go, Blades!

In honor of Thanksgiving, I am thankul for…

Having a coach: Coach Greg is the steadying influence that we’ve missed in our leadership; and it already is making a difference in how we approach each game.

Additions that work: It was obvious from the first practice that Kelly could skate but the question is always: can she skate with us? The answer is a resounding yes, and Kelly brings an offensive force to the ice that gives us the third scoring line we’ve sorely missed.

Players who take the body: Sarah is the best at knowing when and how to take a player out cleanly, and she did this all game long. She was tough on the boards and fierce in front of our net – and even got herself a couple of scoring chances along the way.

Pucks that bounce: I was beaten to the outside and down on the ice – but the puck took a little hop and I was able to just get enough on it to poke it off the opposing player’s stick so that my D partner could get back and get control of the puck. Whew.

Years that don’t show: Laurie is our very own bionic woman, with a repaired wrist and brand-new eyes, a skating style that belies her age – and an instinct for the front of the net that you just can’t teach.

Teammates who hustle: Tanya, picking up my “hail mary” pass up the boards to the off wing from behind our net, taking off with the puck and getting a really good scoring chance.

Unbelievable goals: Lora, on a beautiful heads-up feed from Liz, going in on a breakaway, while we alternately cheered and held our breath, drawing the goalie out on her forehand before deke-ing to her backhand and sliding it in for an NHL-worthy goal.

Rusty goaltending: That’s how Gina referred to it herself but she was terrific in the net and really made a difference. And while did miss our Steph on the ice, at least we had her steady presence behind the bench – and thanks to her, we had half the team because without her, they had no ride.

Key plays at the right time: Meredith, always in the right place at the right time, sizing up the play instantly, picked up a loose player by the side of our net and saved a sure goal.

Extra effort: I saw Namiko go down battling along the boards, Lora D. getting knocked about in the neutral zone – and Nina, stepping up and into an opposing player in our zone, actually getting yelled at for her physical play!

Yards and Inches: Cassidy plays her game in quick spurts, and her ability to change her speed almost instantaneously is phenomenal. She always seems to get to the puck first, and her speed forces the other team to play back on their heels, opening up the ice like magic.

Defense(wo)men: Laura A. had an awesome play in the slot, shooting the puck out of our zone when we had been stuck in our end for too long, and Lisa, in her first bid as a D, was terrific – and tough – shaking off an tough hit and turning it into a play on goal.

Awesome two-way playing: Clare was good in our end but she was really good in the offensive end, and it was her line that absolutely had the best scoring chances.

Yummies: Okay, no secret, I like my post-game snack. Today was my favorite – donut holes – and they were courtesy of a change in my driving route that now brings me right past a Dunkin’ Donuts – whoohoo!

Happy Thanksgiving all!

The Blades came out in force, and Steph grabbed her first win and first shutout of the season, in our third game of the year.

We had three lines up and back and it showed as everyone played with energy and speed.

Kelly, centering Karyn and Tanya, set the tone early in the game, scoring off a face-off in the offensive end. In the end, Kelly finished with four goals. Tanya skated the puck with intensity, carrying it out of our end over and over again, and had THREE of the primary assists on Kelly’s goals. Karyn had several good chances around the front of the net, and although they didn’t go in, they should have!

Alyssa and Nina, with Laurie at center, had a number of opportunities, including at least two full break-a-ways for Alyssa. Laurie played fierce, battling along the boards to clear the puck and Nina was tough on the wing and caused at least a dozen neutral zone turnovers.

And the re-united line of Meredith, Lora and Liz looked as sharp as ever. Lora had a pretty goal in the 2nd period on a break-away but the highlight was in the 3rd period, when they were moving the puck around the offensive zone, passing back and forth along the wall – when Cassidy stepped into the slot, called for the puck (we heard her from the bench!) and received a beautiful pass from Liz that she buried in the back of the net. Liz also added a nifty goal to her tally for the evening, on an assist from Lora.

On defense, Clare stepped back (and stepped it up!) and had a terrific game on both ends but especially in their zone, where she was making precision passes back and forth with Lora and taking several shots on net. Sarah and Laura A. were a well-matched pair. Laura had some great moments keeping the puck in the zone, and Sarah had an AWESOME breakaway. And Cassidy, playing with Carol Anne, was a force on the ice, out-skating everyone, and scoring her first goal of the season – wahoo! Carol Anne held the line several times and allowed Cassidy to take chances in their end, which paid off in a goal.

Overall, it was a terrific effort – and it was also great fun!

We had plenty of players on the bench this time – three full lines and five defense – but, as Coach Greg pointed out, it was COLD on that ice, and we didn’t get much time to warm-up or stay warm.  We did, however, have back our very own Bionic Woman, Laurie Woods, returning after 6 months off the ice, without losing one bit of her stellar play.

We came out hard and so did the Wildcats.  The game was back and forth, up and back the ice, with a lot of good puck carrying by our newest players, Kelly and Alyssa.  Lora D on D was a sight to behold, carrying the puck end to end in her calm, controlled style.  Way to go Lora – who hasn’t played D before!  And welcome back to D to Meredith; it might have been a few years since we played together but you haven’t lost the knack.

The tie was finally broken in the 2nd period by the new line of Lisa, Alyssa and Namiko (say that fast three times.)  Alyssa had a stellar shot on the net and Lisa was right in front to put home the rebound, making it 1-0 Blades.

The Wildcats came back hard in the 3rd period, cherry-picking, pushing for breakaways and crashing the net, and they got lucky on a bounce in front while Steph was screened, to make it 1-1.

Both teams continued to fight, back and forth, and it looked like we would go home with the 1-1 tie, when they got a loose player down low and just snuck one past Steph as she was sliding across to stop the puck.  With the score now in their favor, we pulled Stephanie and put six (wo)men on the ice.  We got control of the puck and got it into their end but we just couldn’t put it on the net, and the game ended 2-1, Wildcats.

TIt was still a great game, with a lot of speed and action on both sides, and I am looking forward to facing them again because I know we can win!

Facing off in another epic battle, the Blades and Cats skated to a 3-3 tie.

I would like to say, to the intrepid 8 players who showed up today, WAHOO!! I really appreciated how hard everyone skated, really pushing their limits, and the result was some absolutely stellar play from everyone.

Our plan was to come out hard, and we did, scoring in the first shift, when Kelly took a hard shot from the side and Meredith whacked home the rebound. This seemed to put the Cats back on their heels, and we took control of the play in the first, scoring another goal, only this time it was Kelly from Meredith.

The second was a tougher period for us, with the long shift change, and the Cats took advantage and made the score 2-1, on a breakdown in our end. We had a power play but lost the advantage when Sarah took a penalty too. Our penalty kill held up and it looked like we would get out of the 2nd still one goal up when I took a (bad) penalty and they got a lucky bounce.

Going into the 3rd period tied 2-2, we came out harder and attacked their net. On the resulting face-off, the puck slipped past me and one of their players took off, with me literally hanging on her back, and slipped the puck in our net.

But we fought back, and Karyn got the puck up to Kelly, who broke into their zone and took a quick shot, tying the game.

With the 3-3 tie, things got really intense. Stephanie had a fabulous game, especially in the third, including keeping the puck out of the net, while lying on her back, with two of their players whacking at the puck and another on top of her.

Up front, Meredith, Kelly and Karyn played as if they had been a line for years, not just one game. Karyn was on the ice for all three goals, and had her feet moving the whole time. Nina had a beauty of a chance in front of the net (she was totally robbed!) and Namiko looked confident on the puck and was tough along the boards, as she always is.

On D, Sarah played as hard as I’ve seen her (and that’s saying a lot) and brought the puck up and out again and again. Carol Anne stepped in and played a very strong game as our third defenseman. For those of you who have done it, playing 3 D is brutal, and I knew Carol Anne was tired but she never gave up battling in front of our net.

We finished as we started, in an even contest, playing hard until the last second.  It was a tough game, truly, but hopefully it gives everyone the confidence to know that we CAN play like that, even with limited numbers.

The face of hockey is changing swiftly across Canada. To get a sense, one need only look at enrolment – this year, 85,000 women are playing in organized leagues, a tenfold increase since 1990.

The sport continues to grow across the board, but it’s women who made up 58 per cent of the Canadians who’ve taken up the sport in the past decade. Olympic gold medals, high-profile stars, a disappearing stigma, athletic scholarships and a surge of adult women taking up the game (one they never could as girls) are driving the growth.

The women’s game will reach another new height Monday, when the Hockey Hall of Fame shatters the gender divide and honours Angela James and Cammi Granato as its first female inductees.

“For me, growing up, I didn’t have female players to look up to,” says Ms. Granato. “As you get older, you start to realize it. You realize you’ve paved the way, and it’s really cool.”

Now, they hope to take the next step – a professional league. It won’t be easy.

“That has really been our dream,” says Sami Jo Small, 34, a two-time gold-medal-winning goalie who is pushing for a pro league. “Canada has come far, but we still have a ways to go as well.”

The recent growth can be traced to the International Ice Hockey Federation’s first women’s tournament, held in Ottawa in 1990. That’s the first year Hockey Canada kept figures for the number of women playing the game: 8,146. The tournament was a breakthrough, though. The next year, hockey registration by women jumped 39 per cent.

Both Ms. James, a Canadian, and Ms. Granato, an American star who now lives in Vancouver, played in the tournament. The Canadians wore pink jerseys to drum up interest.

Another breakthrough came in 1998, when women’s hockey became an Olympic event. Enrolment spiked 30 per cent the next winter in Canada. Since then, the stardom of players like Cassie Campbell and Hayley Wickenheiser have elevated the game’s profile since those players began their careers.

“It’s night and day in this country to be a female hockey player,” Ms. Wickenheiser told a hockey summit this summer.

A ruling that forced the U.S. National College Athletic Association to increase the number of sports scholarships for women is credited with keeping a young generation playing – the scholarships far outpace anything Canadian schools can offer.

But after college, there are few options. The National Women’s Hockey League folded in 2007. It has been replaced by the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, run by a group including Ms. Small, who also plays.

The CWHL is one of a handful of fledgling leagues. Compared to the celebrity status of men’s stars and the paycheques that come with it, the CWHL and its Western Women’s Hockey League counterpart are hardly glamorous work – it doesn’t pay players (many of whom are Olympic gold medalists) and only recently signed a deal to get them new equipment.

“It’s small steps,” says Ms. Small.

Nearly all of the two leagues’ players keep full-time jobs, but play for fun and at a level they wouldn’t get in a recreation league. One such player is Erin Duggan, 27, captain of the WWHL’s Edmonton Chimos. A Yale and Harvard graduate who played hockey all her life, the Chimos team is a natural fit. Ms. Duggan played on men’s teams until she was 17, because there was no other option in her town.

“I was always the only girl in the league. And it’s definitely a guy’s world when you play on a guy’s team, for sure. But I grew up in a small town so a lot of those guys were my buddies… they’re all more like my brothers,” she says, adding players like Ms. James and Ms. Granato are pioneers with a well-deserved spot in the Hall of Fame.

“It’s just that sense of recognition in a man’s world. It’s impressive. They’ve both done extreme things for the women’s game.”

Women’s teams in Canada play for the Clarkson Cup, named for former governor-general and women’s hockey advocate Adrienne Clarkson. They play international tournaments, such as this week’s 4 Nations Cup in Newfoundland, which pits Canada against the United States, Sweden and Finland.

And people are watching – 19 million viewers took in some part of the women’s Olympic gold-medal game. That’s more Canadian viewers than watched part of the Super Bowl, TV sports’ biggest and glitziest event.

Many agree that a pro league, with a concentration of high-quality players, will do wonders to build the profile of the women’s game. Getting there is a monumental task.

But there’s a grassroots movement, too – most women playing hockey in Canada are adults who take it up for fun. Ten years ago, 43,421 of Canada’s 505,367 (8.6 per cent) hockey players were women, according to Hockey Canada. In 2009-2010, 85,624 of the 577,077 were women (14.7 per cent). Women made up about 42,000 of the 72,000 or so additional players over the decade, or about 58 per cent of the growth.

“Women are coming back and saying this is a great way to get out, get some exercise,” says Brenda Andress, the CWHL’s executive director. “Our numbers are growing phenomenally because it’s a sport that’s seen as socially acceptable to play, whereas it didn’t use to be socially acceptable to play.”

Girls are often drawn in for different reasons than boys – by family role models and friends, as opposed to National Hockey League stars.

When teenager Megan Webb quit figure skating six years ago, she was looking for another sport. Her brother played hockey, so she took it up, too. Though Ms. Wickenheiser and other pioneers faced questions about hockey being a sport for boys, Ms. Webb hasn’t had any such comments.

“So many people play. If someone asked me, ‘Oh, what sport do you play?’ I say hockey and they say it’s kind of cool,” says Ms. Webb, 13, a bantam defender.

Her father, Phil Webb, has taken over co-ordinating the 110 girls in the St. Albert Minor Hockey Association, located in a suburban Edmonton community of about 60,000 residents. It serves as a hub for girls from across rural central Alberta. “We’re still bringing in players, trying to help out as many girls as we can,” says the 44-year-old Mr. Webb.

Current players credit trailblazers such as Ms. James and Ms. Granato.

“As a generation of women started to play and excel, such as Cammi and Angela, they became heroes, role models to a younger generation that wanted to pick up a hockey stick and play,” Ms. Small says. It’s a far cry from when she began playing.

“I never saw another little girl play. There wasn’t an Olympic team, there wasn’t a national team – we didn’t have dreams within the game,” she says. “There’s now just a greater acceptance of girls playing. You don’t even balk at a girl carrying a hockey bag into a rink.”

With a report from Matthew Sekeres in Vancouver

Editor’s note: This version includes statistics showing the growth in the number of women playing hockey in Canada and an interview with Erin Duggan.

TORONTO – Thanks to Angela James and Cammi Granato, women are finally in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

But the breakthrough moment comes at a time when female players are still defending their game.

“It just comes with the territory because we’re used to doing that, we’re used to defending ourselves,” Granato said Monday. “I had to defend myself from the time when I was in a rink when I was a little kid and people wondered ‘Why is she playing?’

“We just have to keep repeating ourselves over and over. … But this helps, I tell you, being here. Having this committee and this Hall accept us really helps.”

Some hockey observers had wondered if the day would ever come. But on Monday morning, James and Granato accepted their rings with former NHLer Dino Ciccarelli and builder Jim Devellano.

The late Daryl (Doc) Seaman, one of the founders of the Calgary Flames, was also inducted.

The Hall of Fame established separate induction criteria for females this year, paving the way for James and Granato to receive plaques alongside the game’s greats. It was a proud moment not only for both women, but for many others involved with the sport they love.

“I think it’s an historic night and I think it’s great for hockey at all levels,” said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. “Both Angela and Cammi are inspirational, they’re pioneers once again. What they’ve done in the game to this point has been terrific and I think they’re great role models for other girls and women looking to devote themselves to this game.”

Just months ago, James was dismayed when International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge sounded a warning bell about women’s hockey during the Vancouver Games. Canada and the U.S. outscored their opposition 88-4 during the Olympics, prompting Rogge to say: “We cannot continue without improvement.”

“I just don’t understand why they have to justify themselves, how good they are,” said James. “They’ve worked really hard to get to where they are, they’ve made a lot of sacrifices. We should just embrace it… .

“Women’s hockey is still in its infancy. We really have to understand that when men’s hockey started off, there were dominant countries and the other countries slowly picked up — no different than even today in the juniors.”

The high point of Granato’s career came while James was experiencing one her most trying periods in the game. The Toronto native was left off the Canadian team when women’s hockey made its debut at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, an event where Granato and the U.S. team won gold with a victory over Canada.

Granato thinks James’s omission played a big part in the American victory.

“We were shocked, absolutely shocked, and couldn’t understand,” said Granato. “She had been their clutch player forever. When you’re going into the biggest tournament of your life, why wouldn’t she be there? It’s an advantage to Team USA right there and it’s unfortunate for her because she had really trailblazed for so long and led her team for so long. “It’s just an injustice that she never got to be in an Olympics.” Asked Monday if she ever understood the decision, James quickly replied: “Never, not at all.”

Women’s hockey has spent decades fighting for its place. The first world championship wasn’t held until 1990, but the sport now features other tournaments like the Four Nations Cup, which is being held this week in Newfoundland and Labrador. On their Hall of Fame plaques, James is described as a “pioneer of the women’s game” while Granato is labelled a “groundbreaker in the truest sense of the word. It’s been a long time coming.” “I’m not looking at how long it’s been,” said James. “I’m just looking at today that it is here. I think we should celebrate that and not worry about the past. There has to be a first for everything and this is it.”

After a month where winter interfered with the best-laid hockey plans, the Blades finally got back on the ice together for a game, taking on the Quarry Cats at Floyd Hall.   Considering how rusty some of us felt, it really was a pretty good game.

We had a last minute request from the QC to wear our white jerseys, because they had new jerseys they wanted to debut.  The jerseys were emblazoned with player nicknames and so we lined up against players labeled “Kit Kat” and “Pants” among others (much more colorful than the nicknames I tend to assign people on the other team, along the lines of “Cherry Picker,” “Too Fast For Me,” or “Move Move Move You’re Blocking My Goalie’s View.”)

The game was pretty even throughout.  The Blades scored first, fairly early in the first, when Lora got the puck to Meredith.  She fired it across the net behind the goalie, who obligingly kicked it in to score on herself.  Minutes later, the QC tied it up, though, when one of their players got loose in front of our net.  Our last two games against the QC were decided by one goal, and this was looking as if it would fall into the same pattern.  The question was, who would get and keep the lead?

We had a lot of good energy on the ice.  Cassidy was raring to go, and skated full speed up and down the ice.  Laura also outskated the QC, heading off players trying to break in solo.  Karyn was fired up from the moment she entered the locker room.  About halfway through the game, she really turned it on and had some fabulous shifts.  She ran down players, and dug the puck out of the boards, simply refusing to back down.

We had a power play in the first, and a chance to increase our lead, but squandered it.  The Cats pushed aggressively and we threw the puck away too many times. Deb was the exception, finally picking up the puck and carrying it up ice, skirting defenders along the way.

Steph had a great game, as usual.  She robbed the QC of several chances, literally plucking the puck out of the air several times, or sliding it out of harm’s way (and foiling the hopes of a very tall player who plaintively said “But it’s my birthday!” in mock-sorrow when she was denied.)

In the second, the puck spent extended periods at each of the ice. Lora managed to turn one shift into a private battle between her and the goalie. Shot, rebound, shot, rebound, shot and into the net! 2-1, Blades!

The third period started with the Blades vowing to hold on to our slender margin, and the QC equally determined to overturn it. Carol Anne had an excellent shift when the puck was in our zone; she stayed high to challenge the point, and push the puck over the line, inch by inch. One of Steph’s clears led to Namiko leading a break out.  She outraced the opposition through the neutral zone, and just before crossing the blue line, she slid the puck precisely to Lora, who took it in and sent it to the back of the net with a backhand shot that bounced off the back of the goalie’s leg.  3-1, Blades!

But you didn’t think it was going to be that easy, did you?  The Cats came back to score as the minutes ticked away, leaving the Blades clinging to a tenuous one-goal lead. Then with about three minutes left to go, it really got interesting. Clare tripped a player, who took down one of her teammates in a two-for-one special. When the ref blew the whistle, Clare was standing over both of them looking as innocent as LiLo after a night on the town.  She was sent to the box, and the Blades had a penalty kill.

Deb kept the front of the net clear and Meredith sent the puck up ice time and again.  The QC swarmed, but they couldn’t break through.  Clare cleared the penalty box just in time to join a Blades surge in the QC end.  When the buzzer sounded, the Blades were still ahead by one goal, 3-2.  A fun game all around!