The Edmonton Jr. Oilers went undefeated through the round robin portion of the Esso Cup to finish as the top seed heading to the semi-finals. The Saskatoon Stars finished second, tied in points with the third place North York Storm. The hosts Lloydminster Steelers snuck into the final spot.
Six Different Scorers Carry Edmonton
The Edmonton Jr. Oilers capped their undefeated round robin at the 2025 Esso Cup with a 6-0 win over the North York Storm. Edmonton got scoring from six different players, including a five goal first period. Tayah Wallace opened the scoring followed by goals from Evie Hanson, Jayde Sansregret, Keira Grant, Tavia Koscielnuk.
In the second frame Paige Smith capped Edmonton's scoring. Taya Christie made 15 saves to earn the shutout.
Duchene And Ashe Score Hat Tricks
Halle Duchene and Kolbee Ashe each scored a hat trick for the Saskatoon Stars in their 8-1 trouncing of the Eastern Stars. Shayla Koroll and Mikayla Broadfoot had the other Saskatoon goals.
Hosts Sneak Into The Semi-Finals
With the winner advancing to the Esso Cup semi-finals and the loser heading home, the host Lloydminster Steelers played a hard fought game against Étoiles de Laurentides-Lanaudière coming away with a 5-3 win.
The teams traded goals and leads early with Esme Loney opening the score for the Steelers. Anais Leprohon tied the game for Laurentides-Lanaudière before Zoalie Doucet gave Étoiles the lead. But Lloydminster had an answer as Raevyn Neahr, Skylar Heinrichs, and Ryann Rekimowich all scored in the second period. Maika Gauthier would get one back for the Quebec champions but Skylar Heinrichs scored in the final minute to secure the win for the Steelers.
“It was a good fought battle, and I think we played very smart. We moved the puck a lot better today than we did yesterday," said Steelers head coach Dan Auchenberg. "It was a well-deserved win for the for the young ladies. […] We've thought about this all year long, and we wanted to make sure that we gave ourselves the opportunity. They bought in. They're doing all the little things right, and they're competing.
Teams Ready For The Semi-Finals
“We got to move our feet. The Jr. Oilers are very well coached team and then they skate well," said Auchenberg of their semi-final match up. "They move the puck well. We got to match their energy and make sure that we keep everything on the outside and make sure we're on them as soon as they’ve got the puck."
The host Steelers will face their league rivals the Edmonton Jr. Oilers. The Steelers have beaten Edmonton this season and only lost 2-1 to Edmonton in the round robin.
In the other semi-final, the North York Storm will take on the Saskatoon Stars. Saskatoon won their first meeting 5-4 jumping out to a 4-0 first period lead before North York stormed back.