Lloydminster Steelers goaltender Harlee Houle worked Houdini-like magic while steering the host team all the way to the playoff round at the Esso Cup last April.
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Houle was simply sensational in stopping 50 shots before the eventual gold-medallists, the Edmonton Junior Oilers, finally posted a 1-0 overtime victory over the Steelers in their semifinal at the national U18 AAA girls’ hockey championship.
It was a game for the history books, and it attracted more than 1,000 fans on a spring Friday night as the Centennial Civic Centre neared the end of its six decades of entertainment.
“I was just trying to stay calm,” said Houle, a 16-year-old Spruce Grove native now playing
U18 prep with OHA Edmonton. “I didn’t want to give (the Junior Oilers) anything. Just stay calm.”
Mission accomplished.
With just 1:20 left in the 10-minute overtime period, and only 12 seconds remaining on the power play, it took a quality shot from Edmonton blue-liner Ciara Lang to end the Steelers’ chances of going for gold the next day.
“It was a great shot, for sure,” said Houle, who was chosen as the top goaltender in the six-team tournament. “No shame. Good for her.”
Lang knew it would take a strong shot to solve Houle’s mastery against the highly touted Edmonton franchise, which went on to defeat the Saskatoon Stars 7-3 in the gold-medal game on Saturday afternoon, April 26.
“She’s an unbelievable goalie, but we just peppered her (with shots) and I think one was going to come soon,” said Lang, whose historic goal came when she fired a wrist shot high on Houle’s blocker side. “I’m glad we could do that to win it and take it to the next game.
“I kind of saw the girls using it as a screen. I just shot it through (the crowd) and I’m glad it went in.”
As the hosts, the Steelers were the only team to play six straight days of evening games before the medal-round action Saturday.
After posting gritty performances and comebacks all week, Lloydminster couldn’t replicate that script one more time, falling 4-1 to the North York (Ont.) Storm in the bronze-medal game, a 1 p.m. start Saturday. That was just 15 hours after the Steelers stepped off the ice from an exhausting semifinal marathon.
Steelers coach Dan Auchenberg said he owed it to Houle to give her the start again Saturday after her standout game Friday. She eventually gave way to Grace Deveau in the second half of the bronze-medal game.
Afterward, Houle reflected on the mixed emotions for the Steelers, especially for the senior players who were graduating from last year’s team.
“Lots of them are pretty upset, but it’s also bittersweet because it’s a great season for them to go out on,” she said.
“But it’s obviously sad that some of them aren’t going to be playing hockey anymore. Some of them are going to go on to play college hockey, though.”
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