FAIRBANKS – It was a valiant effort, but Team Yukonʼs female hockey team conceded to Alberta North 3-1 yesterday in their semifinal match at the Arctic Winter Games.

Outshot 40-8, 14-year-old Mykhaila McInroyʼs second-period goal was the only offence the Yukon could muster at the University of Alaska Fairbanks rink.

It briefly brought the score to within one, but Alberta North struck for the third time two minutes later.

McInroyʼs goal came after an Alberta North defender lost her balance while carrying the puck in the defensive zone.

McInroy swooped in and buried a wrist shot past Erynn Shantz to bring the score to 2-1 Alberta North. An ecstatic McInroy pulled the front of her jersey in celebration.

"It kind of sounds funny, but I was planning that if I scored … ʻIʼm going to do this when I celebrate,ʼ” McInroy laughed post-game. "This is probably one of the highlights of my hockey career so far.

"It felt amazing,” she said. "It was just the biggest boost of confidence I could ask for right now. It just got everyone going and everyone just started believing in each other.”

Yukon goalie Abigail Turner stopped 37 shots in the loss. The 16-year-old said the tournament has been an eye-opening experience.

"Iʼve only been playing for a year and a half now, so I was pretty nervous about it,” she admitted. "But my team kept us in the game. We play in the bantam house league. This is a lot harder. The competitionʼs higher.”

As for the loss, Turner said her team is not letting scores affect their post-game feelings.

"I donʼt think itʼs heartbreaking. My teamʼs in a good mindset for that,” she said.

Breanna Jones, a 16-year-old centre from Fort McMurray, got the first puck past Turner at 10:19 in the first, and assisted on her teamʼs second goal a few minutes later.

Jones said her team came out hard, not wanting to give the Yukon an inch.

"We wanted to get them right away and not let them score,” she told the Star.

Yukon coach Louis Bouchard said watching his club bounce back from their 6-0 loss to Alberta North in the round robin was impressive.

"It was a tremendous improvement,” he said. "We knew it wasnʼt going to be easy. Theyʼre a fast, strong team – a lot older than our kids. But we thought we could play with them and we did.”

Bouchard said Turner turned in a brilliant performance between the pipes.

"She was solid as a rock,” he said.

The Yukon will face N.W.T. for bronze this afternoon. The Yukon side beat their territorial rivals 2-1 in the round robin earlier this week.

"We just need to play like we played today,” Bouchard said of his teamʼs chances at securing a ulu. "Thatʼs all we need to do against N.W.T.”