Southern Express celebrating Payton Kruger's first period goal on Sunday (Photo courtesy of Scott Roblin)

By Scott Roblin

Winning Ways

Southern Express midget squad surging ahead of AFHL playoffs

Feb 10, 2020 | 12:39 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Entering the Christmas break, the Southern Express midget elite female hockey team was floundering with five straight losses.

Just over a month later, the Express have flipped the script and are playing some of their best hockey with playoffs on the horizon.

On Sunday afternoon, the Express rode a pair of goals from captain Maddy King to take out the visiting Rocky Mountain Raiders 4-1 at the Family Leisure Centre.

Leading scorer Kendal Pierson netted a trio of assists in the victory and said they were able to possess the puck effectively against the Okotoks-based club.

“We just kind of kept them in their zone and just worked the puck low and tried to find each other,” said Pierson.

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Payton Kruger and Avery Sande also netted goals in the victory for the Express, while Hayley Whelan allowed just one goal on 19 shots against.

Sunday’s victory was a vital one for the Express, as they climbed past the Raiders into third place in the AFHL’s South Division with 33 points and a 10-8-3 record.

The Express are locked in a race with the Raiders and Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs for the three-spot in the south, with just three points separating the midget clubs with home ice advantage in playoffs on the line.

“It definitely makes you work harder and want to push further to get up to that higher level,” said Pierson. “Just wanting to go into playoffs on home ice.”

For much of the 2019-20 season, Pierson has led the charge offensively with 18 goals and 31 points in just 18 games.

Tied for the league lead in goal scoring, the Duchess product said she’s been converting on a number of good looks in the offensive zone this year.

“I’ve been getting good chances and burying them,” she said. “I got some points today with some assists, so it’s been really good.”

Chances of earning one of two first round byes are slim for the Express, so their sights have been set on obtaining home ice for an opening round best-of-three series.

Heading into their final five games of the regular season, the team is feeling confident in their ability to find each other on the ice.

“We’ve definitely come together as a team better and we’re playing a lot better together,” said Pierson. “Everyone is finding each other and we’re just knowing where everyone is. So, it’s definitely a lot better, we know our game now and we’re going to keep sticking to it.”

A big test awaits the Southern Express on Saturday night, facing the league’s top dog in Calgary Fire Red at 7:45 pm at the Moose Recreation Centre.

Bantam elite Express

As for the Southern Express bantam elite team, they bounced back in a big way in Red Deer against the St. Albert Chargers 4-2.

Sunday’s win against the Chargers ended a 13-game winless streak for the Express, picking up their fourth victory of the season in AFHL play.

After St. Albert jumped out to a 1-0 lead midway through the first frame, the Express countered with a Callahan McCulloch marker to even up the contest.

That was followed by a pair of shorthanded goals from blueliner Makayla Watson, while Brooklynne Painter capped off the Express scoring with a late power play marker in the third period.

Madelaine Ferguson picked up the victory with 25 saves on 27 shots against.

The win caps off the regular season for the bantam elite club, wrapping things up with a 4-20-2 record.

Finishing fifth in the South Division, the Southern Express will take on the Red Deer Sutter Fund Chiefs in the opening round of playoffs starting February 28.