Jill Pollack Co Maroon and Cardinal Contracting Red took to the ice Tuesday, to face-off in their Whitehorse Women’s Hockey Association game at the Canada Games Centre.

In the first period the Maroon team jumped on their opponent, dictating pace of play and applying relentless pressure in the offensive zone. The Maroon offence was quickly rewarded as Chantelle Rivest banged home a rebound.

Maroon did not take their foot off the gas and they were quickly back into the Red’s end of the ice, getting the puck in deep. As Red tried to clear it up the boards defenceman Hailey Garrod corralled the puck with her skates, putting on a spin-move around her defender and whistled a shot past the goalie at the 16:00 mark, to give her team a two-goal advantage.

“We are having fun out there together,” said Garrod. “We have a really great team that is really familiar with each other, and knows each other from past years. We are also welcoming some new players. It’s about having fun with some awesome ladies.”

The Maroon side added to their lead as Rivest found the back of the net again. Cheryl Rivest followed that goal at the 13:09 mark shoveling a backhand over the goalie. Red was able to answer with a goal late by Nikki Belanger who snuck into the slot and fired a shot five-hole on the Maroon goalie, to cut the lead to 4-1.

In the second Maroon added to their score midway through the second period, when Emilie Nugent found the back of the net at 9:23. Maroon added a second goal in the final moment of the period when Bridgeen Barber took a pass from her defenceman and walked in alone on the goalie sliding it past her outstretched arm, to make it 6-1 after two.

Completing crisp passes at all parts of the ice is something Garrod says the team has worked on and talked about during their season.

“We are still getting used to playing together, but our passing was really tape to tape tonight,” said Garrod. “Tonight was about our passes and our breakouts, that’s what our warm-ups were and that is what we were able to implement in the game.”

Midway through the third Maroon added to their total when Brettanie Deal-Porter wristed home a puck at 12:23. After the goal the Red’s picked up their intensity and put the Maroon side on their heels.

With the play squarely happening in the Maroon defensive zone the Red side was able to generate plenty of scoring chances. Jacqueline Mills cut into the deficit after receiving a pass from behind the net and snapping it past the Maroon goalie. Mill’s teammate Belanger cut into the lead some more when she walked into the slot and wired a wrist shot past a screened goaltender, cutting the lead to 7-3.

In the final moments of the period Maroon was able to put the game out of reach as Katie Vanderstelt one-timed a blistering puck from just inside the blue-line into the back of the net.

After a successful night at the rink Harrod says it is all about having fun, and that includes catching up with the other team.

“You really get to know other people on the other teams,” said Harrod.

“Every year the teams are so different, it’s fun to see your old teammates on the other side. My friend was on the other team so it was different. Rather than trying to pass her the puck I was trying to take the puck away from her.”

Other scores from the past few days: On Thursday Hvactech Systems Blue defeated Changing Gear Teal 4-3 in the late game. The early game saw Jill Pollack Co Maroon beat Burnt Toast Black 11-2.

Last Tuesday Pearson Urban Realty Grey tied with H And R Block Green 2-2, while North Star Mini Storage Gold beat Cardinal Contracting Red 4-0.