RED DEER - The first month of the 2017-18 Alberta Female Hockey League is now in the books, with the St. Albert Slash (Midget AAA), St. Alberta Sharks (Midget Elite), and Calgary Fire White (Bantam Elite) sitting atop the standings in their respective leagues.
Midget AAA
After the first month of play, the Midget AAA Female standings are:
1) St. Albert Slash (17 pts)
2) Lloydminster PWM Steelers (16 pts)
3) Rocky Mountain Raiders (15 pts)
4) Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs (11 pts)
5) Calgary Fire (6 pts)
6) Edmonton Pandas (1 pt)
Rocky Mountain Raiders forward Chloe Puddifant leads all skaters in points (12) through the first month of play, while Lloydminster forward Kelsey Hall (five goalies) and Calgary forward Mackenzie Loupelle (five assists) lead the league in their respective categories.
Goaltender Bella McKee was strong in net for Lloydminster in October, with a league-leading four wins. McKee’s 1.20 goals against average puts her second in the league, behind teammate Molly Mitchell, who currently holds a 1.00 GAA, while both goalies are tied for the league lead with a .960 save percentage.
Outside of league play, eight AFHL players were named to Team Alberta’s U18 roster in October, and are currently competing at the 2017 National Women’s Under-18 Championship in Quebec.
Midget Elite
Heading into November, the Midget Elite standings are:
North Division:
1) St. Albert Sharks (12 pts)
2) Peace Country PCFAC Storm (10 pts)
3) Lloydminster Elite Steelers (7 pts)
4) Edmonton Pandas (6 pts)
5) Sherwood Park Fury (6 pts)
6) North Central Impact (2 pts)
South Division:
1) Calgary Fire White (9 pts)
2) Calgary Fire Red (9 pts)
3) Airdrie Lightning (9 pts)
4) Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs (6 pts)
5) Lethbridge Cyclones (6 pts)
6) Rocky Mountain Raiders (5 pts)
Peace Country’s Shauna Johnson sits atop the leaderboard in goals (six), and is tied with Lethbridge’s Hayleigh Craig for the lead league in points (eight), while Johnson’s teammate, Karsyn May, holds the lead in assists (six).
Airdrie’s Cianna Weir and Peace Country’s Madison Doucette both set the pace for goaltenders in October with three wins each. Edmonton’s Josie-Leah Cardinal recorded two shutouts in four appearances (with two wins), while seven goaltenders sit tied for second with one shutout in October, including St. Alberta’s Cecelia Michelutti, who leads the league with a 0.50 GAA and a .970 save percentage in two starts.
Bantam Elite
In the Bantam Elite division, it has been exciting first few weeks of league play. The Bantam Elite standings heading into November are:
North Division:
1) Edmonton Pandas (13 pts)
2) Peace Country Bonnett’s Storm (13 pts)
3) Sherwood Park Royals (10 pts)
4) North Central Impact (6 pts)
5) St. Albert Raiders (6 pts)
6) Lloydminster Junior Steelers (5 pts)
South Division:
1) Calgary Fire White (18 pts)
2) Rocky Mountain Raiders (8 pts)
3) Calgary Fire Red (7 pts)
4) Olds Grizzlys (7 pts)
5) Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs (5 pts)
6) Lethbridge Cyclones (1 pt)
Peace Country’s Charlieze Sallis set the pace for skaters in October with 10 points. Sherwood Park’s Jenna Goodwin leads the way with six goals, while Edmonton’s Sydney Dutertre is the league leader in assists, with five.
Through three games, Alexandra Kieren has been a wall in net for Calgary White, with a stingy 0.32 GAA and .980 save percentage in two wins and a shootout loss, along with two shutouts. Kieren’s counterpart, Kalynah Fong Martin, and Sherwood Park’s Asia Kachuk are tied for the league lead with four wins each.