Team Alberta North uses overtime to grab win over Team Alaska in U18 girls hockey gold medal game

A quick snap of the wrist, and heartbreak for Team Alaska.

Team Alberta North’s Kaitlyn Senkoe flipped a wrister from the right side into the back of the net with 1 minute, 53 seconds left in the extra period to lift her squad to a 2-1 overtime win over Team Alaska during the Arctic Winter Games U18 girls gold medal game Friday afternoon at the Menard Arena.

Alberta used the overtime thriller to cap an undefeated run through the Mat-Su games. Alberta finished 4-0-0 in pool play and moved into the final with a 2-1 win over Team Yukon in the semis.

Alberta also sandwiched Alaska’s lone goal with its scores. Reagan Lynch scored during the final minute of the first period to give Alberta the 1-0 lead.

Brenna Hagel, of Wasilla, put Team Alaska on the scoreboard with 4:20 left in the second. Hagel, who skates for the Wasilla Warriors hockey team, forced a turnover in the Alberta defensive zone and put a quick shot into the net to score shorthanded and tie the score at 1.

Team Alaska’s River Scott also had a stellar day in net. Scott made 39 saves in the game. Alberta outshot Alberta 41-17.

Team Alaska featured a handful of Valley players including Hagel, Kendall Ketchum, Jaydyn Mason and Violet Schachle of Wasilla; and Aliana Burnside and Kayedi Spone of Talkeetna.

Alaska moved into the gold medal game with a 3-0 win over Northwest Territories in the semifinals. Hagel, Grace White and Emme Campbell scored for Alaska. Goalie Zoie Campbell notched the 14-save shutout.

Alaska finished 3-1-0 in pool play. The lone loss came to Alberta, 3-0. Alaska also had the top two scorers in pool play. Ketchum led the way with nine points, five goals and four assists. Hagel bagged 4-4-8 totals.

Contact Frontiersman managing editor Jeremiah Bartz at editor@frontiersman.com.