You Gotta Score First - Part Two

As demonstrated yesterday, teams in Canada West that scored first won games 76% of the time and recorded points 80% of the time. Obviously, getting a lead at any point in the game is an ideal situation, but it seems that teams who gain the lead first end up winning more often than losing - a lot more often, in fact. The statistics also demonstrate a distinct reality that teams who establish leads in Canada West usually hold leads as well. As I've always said, Canada West women's hockey might be the most difficult conference to win, and it seems to bear fruit if one falls behind in games.

In saying this, each team's success may partially have rested on establishing and holding leads in games. One would expect the teams who finished at or near the top of the standings in Canada West last season to have better first-goal records than those who missed the playoffs, but is this actually the case? Was there one team who constantly used scoring first to their advantage? Were there any teams who scored first, but couldn't hold the lead?

We'll answer all those below with our look at the nine Canada West teams and their abilities to gain and hold a lead. There were also some players who stood out in become repeat performers when it came to scoring goals first, and we'll examine some of the facts that surround a few of the goals scored by these players. Without further delay, let's get into the goal-scoring as we examine each team in the order in which they finished last season in Canada West!

RECORD: 24-2-2 (50 pts)
STANDING: 1st in Canada West
GOALS-FOR: 97

It's almost expected that the team with the most wins and the most goals scored would lead the way in first-goals scored as well, right? Well, I can tell you that didn't happen as UBC scored first 18 times, good for a tie for second-most first-goals. That being said, UBC was relentless in their attack and forecheck all season, so it's easy to see why they lit the lamp first so often.

Five of their first tallies came on the power-play while one came shorthanded. The earliest goal that UBC scored this season was off the stick of Sophia Gaskell at 1:24 of the first period on November 12, 2022 against Trinity Western while their latest first-goal was the shorthanded marker scored by Cassidy Rhodes on November 25, 2022 at 16:29 of the second period against Mount Royal. 15 of their 18 goals came in the first period with four coming in the first five minutes of games while the remaining three goals were scored in the second period. In short, the Thunderbirds didn't waste much time when it came to scoring first and maintaining that lead.

HOME RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 10-0-0.
ROAD RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 7-0-1.

I think any coach would be ecstatic with 18.6% of his team's goals being the first goal scored in a game if it leads to a 17-0-1 record. The Thunderbirds scored first in 64.3% of their games this year, and that resulted in 35 points in those games. Yes, they were good all season long, but if a team collects 70% of its points in games where it scores first, it would be imperative to not let them score first, especially if three losses came in games where they didn't score first.

FIRST-GOAL SCORERS: Grace Elliott (3), Mackenzie Kordic (3), Cassidy Rhodes (2), Chanreet Bassi (2), Ireland Perrott (2), Sophia Gaskell (2), Jacquelyn Fleming (1), Mia Bierd (1), Rylind MacKinnon (1), Sierra LaPlante (1).

RECORD: 21-6-1 (43 pts)
STANDING: 2nd in Canada West
GOALS-FOR: 75

The Alberta Pandas have a reputation for grabbing a lead and holding that lead throughout their many years of play. There is no doubt that the second-place team in Canada West was successful in doing that this season as they scored first 18 times to tie them for second-place overall with UBC. Alberta used their solid systems to prevent a lot of goals while it held strong once they grabbed a lead.

Alberta scored six of their 18 first-goals on the power-play which was tops in Canada West. One of those power-play goals was scored on December 2, 2022 against the MacEwan Griffins at 1:30 of the opening frame as Jadynn Morden recorded the earliest first-goal for Alberta this season. The Pandas' latest first-goal was also a power-play marker, and it came off the stick of Hayleigh Craig at 16:20 of the third period on January 28, 2023 against the Regina Cougars. Alberta scored 10 first-period first-goals with four coming in the first five minutes of play, added six more in the second period, and had two first-goals come in the third period, and they tied with Saskatchewan in having the most players who scored first with 12 different players tallying a first goal. And with nearly half their first-goals coming in the second and third periods, it's pretty clear that Alberta didn't worry about playing in close games where that first goal could mean all the difference.

HOME RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 9-0-0.
ROAD RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 8-0-1.

Say what you want about the Pandas, but scoring 24% of your team's total goals as the first goal in all games is a pretty impressive statistic. Like UBC, they finished the season 17-0-1 when scoring first, so it's hard to argue with two teams who finished atop the standings when they scored first in the majority of their games. Where Alberta got into trouble was falling behind as they went 4-6-0 when they didn't hit the scoreboard first, so Canada West teams may want to strategize to get an early tally against Alberta and force them to rally.

FIRST-GOAL SCORERS: Abby Soyko (3), Cassidy Maplethorpe (2), Jadynn Morden (2), Natalie Kieser (2), Taylor Anker (2), Abbey Bourdeaud’hui (1), Bree Kennedy (1), Danica Namaka (1), Hayleigh Craig (1), Kallie Clouston (1), Madison Willan (1), Payton Laumbach (1).

RECORD: 19-6-3 (41 pts)
STANDING: 3rd in Canada West
GOALS-FOR: 76

If the Cougars did one thing right in conference play, it was putting everyone back on their heels in games. Mount Royal scored an incredible 21 first-goals in the 28 games they played this season meaning they were leading at some point in 75% of all their games just by scoring first. Having 27.6% of your goals be first goals in games doesn't hurt either as it takes a lot of pressure off the offence, so you can see why Mount Royal was on a different level than most of Canada West and, eventually, U SPORTS when it came to getting and holding a lead.

Of their 21 first-goal tallies, five came on the power-play. Athena Hauck scored the earliest goal for MRU this season when she scored just 28 seconds into the February 4, 2023 game against MacEwan while Kiana McNinch scored the latest Mount Royal marker when she dented twine at 17:02 of the third period in the November 19, 2022 game against Saskatchewan. Mount Royal scored 16 first-period goals which saw seven scored in the opening five minutes of those games while four more were added in the second period and McNinch had the lone third-period goal. Based on the stats alone, Mount Royal enjoyed putting teams in a hole early before burying them in those holes this season.

HOME RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 9-1-0.
ROAD RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 8-0-3.

It's crazy to think that a third team in Canada West hit 17 wins when scoring first, but the 17-1-3 record with which Mount Royal finished the season would indicate that reality. Mount Royal won 81% of the games where they scored first, and recorded points in 95.2% of the games where they scored first. It's becoming pretty evident that good teams score first, but also know how to build on that lead once they have it. Case in point? In the seven games where Mount Royal trailed after their opponents scored first, they went 2-5-0. That's hardly National Champion-like.

FIRST-GOAL SCORERS: Athena Hauck (4), Courtney Kollman (4), Aliya Jomha (3), Tatum Amy (3), Ava Metzger (1), Camryn Amundson (1), Emma Bergesen (1), Kaia Borbandy (1), Kiana McNinch (1), Lyndsey Janes (1), Sydney Benko (1).

RECORD: 15-9-4 (34 pts)
STANDING: 4th in Canada West
GOALS-FOR: 61

Calgary's slow start affected their total when it came to scoring the first goal, but they certainly got themselves back on track when the vaulted up the standings to overtake a few teams en route to their fourth-place finish. Calgary scored first in 10 of their 28 games this year with five of those games coming in January and February. Note the number of games for the second-half of the season when I point out the statstical part of the equation below.

Calgary scored just one power-play goal in those ten first-goal tallies. Elizabeth Lang scored the earlist first goal for Calgary this past season when she scored at 10:53 of the first period on November 5, 2022 against UBC. Lang also recorded the conference's latest goal and the only first-goal scored in overtime this season when she found the back of the net at 2:13 of double-overtime against Saskatchewan on October 8, 2022. Calgary finished the season with four first-period first-goals without scoring any in the opening five minutes of any game. They also had five second-period first-goals, and Lang's overtime goal as documented above. Like their play throughout the season, Calgary continued to get better ad better as games went deeper into the schedule.

HOME RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 3-0-0.
ROAD RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 6-1-0.

I don't know if I'd call them the "road warriors", but Calgary's 6-1-0 record away from Father David Bauer Arena is certainly worthy of some applause. While they were undefeated at home, only opening the scoring in three of 14 home games is a little concerning. I mentioned that the record between the first half and the second half of the season was notable as well - Calgary was 4-1 in the first two months while going 5-0 in the final two months. Statistically, they don't look all that different, but Calgary scored three times to open the scoring in the second period in the second-half - a possible sign that they were defensively more comfortable in the second-half of the season. We know they made their push in those final eight weeks, so it appears that the Dinos really started putting their game together in January.

FIRST-GOAL SCORERS: Alli Borrow (3), Elizabeth Lang (2), Jada Burke (1), Josie McLeod (1), Rebecca Clarke (1), Sophie Zuck (1), Sydney Mercier (1).

RECORD: 14-11-3 (31 pts)
STANDING: 5th in Canada West
GOALS-FOR: 49

Make no mistake that Saskatchewan is known for its defensive system more than being an offensive juggernaut, but teams still have to score if they want to win. The Huskies scored the first goal in 17 of the 28 games they played, so they certainly understood the assignment of getting the lead, but holding a lead was a little more complicated on some nights. Nonetheless, when 34.7% of your goals get you a lead early in any game, you're doing something right.

Four of the 17 first-goals scored by Saskatchewan came on the power-play. Kendra Zuchotzki scored the earlier Huskies goal this season when she found the back of the net at 2:13 of the first period against Regina on November 5, 2022 while also tallying the latest first goal of the season when she scored against Trinity Western on the power-play at 12:15 of the second period on January 7, 2023. Saskatchewan tallied 13 first-period first goals with three coming inside the opening five minutes, and they added four second-period first-goals as well. The Huskies often got ahead, and it helped them to a playoff spot.

HOME RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 8-1-0.
ROAD RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 5-2-1.

Saskatchewan made waves through November as they went 6-0-0 in games where they scored first, but October and January were 2-1-0 records. It seems the Huskies need to get back into some sort of regular routine in order to keep the mojo flowing, so those breaks we see might actually hinder how Saskatchewan prepares week to week. The road record of 5-2-1 is the worst of the top-five teams in Canada West so scoring first while travelling was a plus for the Huskies, but it could have been better. Saskatchewan closed out the season 4-6-0, but had a first-goal record of 4-2-0 over that same span, suggesting that the Huskies couldn't win when they were struggling to score.

FIRST-GOAL SCORERS: Kendra Zuchotzki (3), Kara Kondrat (2), Kelsey Hall (2), Sophie Lalor (2), Kate Ball (1), Kennedy Brown (1), Kenzie Lausberg (1), Mallory Dyer (1), McKenna Bolger (1), Paris Oleksyn (1), Sara Kendall (1), Taylor Wilkinson (1).

RECORD: 11-13-4 (26 pts)
STANDING: 6th in Canada West
GOALS-FOR: 53

We can celebrate Trinity Western making the Canada West playoffs for the first time, but long-term success requires sustainable results. The Spartans were good in scoring the opening goal in 13 of 28 games they played, but this often came off the sticks of just three players as the Spartans only had six players score first-goal markers with ten of those goals by three players. That's not sustainable, so we may see a step back this season by the Spartans unless they can get more goals from more players.

The Spartans scored one power-play goal, but led the conference with two shorthanded goals among the 13 first-goals they scored. One of those two shorthanded goals was also the earliest goal TWU scored as Amy Potomak sniped the shorty at 2:41 of the first period against MacEwan on November 5, 2022 while their latest first-goal was scored by Brooklyn Anderson at the 19:35 mark of the third period against Regina on November 25, 2022. The Spartans scored ten first-period first-goals with two coming inside the first five minutes while adding two second-period first-goals and a single third-period first-goal. Getting the lead wasn't the problem for Trinity Western, but holding that lead occasionally was.

HOME RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 6-0-1.
ROAD RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 3-2-1.

If you want to circle one immediate problem on Trinity Western's record, it's that 3-2-1 road record. The Spartans have to get and hold a lead on the road more often if they want to run with the more successful teams in Canada West, and that proved to be a bit of a downfall in the playoffs when Mount Royal - the conference's best first-goal team - scored first in all three playoffs games against Trinity Western. Beyond that, they need more players scoring first more often as well. Having just six players chip in first-goals this season doesn't speak to the depth of the Spartans, so that has to change. In January and February, they got virtually nothing as they went 1-0-1 in those two months of games, so they rallied in games (good!), but they'd do themselves a lot of favours by getting out in front. There's no doubting that the Spartans had a successful campaign, but sustainability might be the biggest obstacle they face going into next season.

FIRST-GOAL SCORERS: Amy Potomak (4), Brooklyn Anderson (4), Olivia Leier (2), Chelsea Debusschere (1), Michela Naccarato (1), Neisha Germann (1).

RECORD: 12-15-1 (25 pts)
STANDING: 7th in Canada West
GOALS-FOR: 65

The Fluffy Cows were fairly efficient in getting a lead in games as they scored first in 11 of 28 games, but it was what happened after they scored the first goal that often told the story of their season. Three players combined to score six of those eleven goals, and one of those three players only scored two goals all season. Needless to say, the Fluffy Cows spent far too much time in their own zone fishing the puck out of their own net and not enough in their opponents' end of the ice to build on the few leads they did establish.

The Fluffy Cows did have a power-play goal among the eleven first-goals they scored. Dana Goertzen scored the earliest goal in in Canada West play this season when she lit the lamp 18 seconds into the Fluffy Cows' final game of the season on February 11, 2023 against Alberta. Kate Gregoire scored the Fluffy Cows' only first-goal outside of the opening 20 minutes when she found twine at 7:10 of the second period on January 27, 2023 against Trinity Western. They finished the season scoring ten first-period first-goals with three of those being scored in the opening five minutes while Gregoire, as mentioned, scored the only second-period first-goal for the Fluffy Cows. They often started with the lead, but games didn't end that way too often.

HOME RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 2-3-0.
ROAD RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 3-2-1.

If a team wants to make the playoffs, playing well at home is imperative. That 2-3-0 record when scoring first at home is the opposite of "playing well at home", and the Fluffy Cows paid for it down the stretch when they needed wins, going 1-2-1 in January and February when scoring first. As we know, the Fluffy Cows missed the playoff as they played from behind for most of the second half of the season. Add in their conference-high 87 goals-against, and that recipe had all the ingredients of how not to earn a playoff spot.

FIRST-GOAL SCORERS: Dana Goertzen (2), Jena Barscello (2), Kate Gregoire (2), Aimee Patrick (1), Chloe Snaith (1), Hanna Bailey (1), Jessica Haner (1), Julia Bird (1).

RECORD: 6-20-2 (14 pts)
STANDING: 8th in Canada West
GOALS-FOR: 39

The MacEwan Griffins missed the playoffs for two very good reasons: they didn't score enough and they didn't stop enough goals. That was reflected in their nine first-goals they scored in 28 games, and we'll see that playing with a lead was something that MacEwan couldn't sustain. They saw seven different players score those nine goals, but too often the Griffins were playing from behind and simply didn't have the scoring punch to get back into games. Being that they tied the Fluffy Cows for the most goals-against, they were in their own end far too often.

The Griffins are the only Canada West team that didn't see its special teams contribute any first-goals. Sydney Hughson scored the Griffins' earliest first-goal this season when she potted a goal at 2:45 of the first period against Manitoba on November 18, 2022. Claire Hobbs netted the latest first-goal by the Griffins when she found twine at 6:50 of the second period against Regina on January 14, 2023. Their season wrapped up with seven first-period first-goals where two were scored in the opening five minutes, and two second-period first goals. Getting nine first goals on the season is something to build on, but the Griffins need more scoring when you consider that those nine goals are nearly one-quarter of their total offence.

HOME RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 2-2-0.
ROAD RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 3-1-1.

MacEwan's anemic offence aside, they simply need to figure out how to defend their own zone much better. When you consider they were 5-3-1 when scoring first, that doesn't bode well for the other 19 games where they were 1-17-1. There isn't a team in Canada West that will make the playoffs with that kind of record, so the Griffins need to clean up their own end before worrying about filling the other net with goals. That being said, there's some good to build on as seven players scored those nine goals and they were 3-1-1 on the road when scoring first, so a little scoring depth and that defensive lockdown might be emerging from MacEwan's ranks.

FIRST-GOAL SCORERS: Claire Hobbs (2), Joie Simon (2), Amanda Murray (1), Aryn Chambers (1), Hailey Maurice (1), Jennifer Andrash (1), Sydney Hughson (1).

RECORD: 4-22-2 (10 pts)
STANDING: 9th in Canada West
GOALS-FOR: 34

It should be noted that Regina was Canada West's youngest team last year, so there might be some growing pains. Of course, being the conference's lowest-scoring team while giving up the second-most goals doesn't help one's standing in the conference, so Regina might be working towards building for the future. That being said, scoring the fewest first-goals - just eight - doesn't help if one can't score to dig one'se self out of a hole. There's work to be done in Regina, and it starts with finding early goals.

Regina did get the benefit of two power-play goals and a shorthanded goal being first-goals. Kaitlyn Gilroy had one of those power-play goals as she notched the earliest Cougars' marker at 2:57 against Alberta on October 29, 2022. Jadyn Kushniruk scored Regina's latest first-goal when she dented twine against Manitoba at the 7:56 mark of the second period on January 6, 2023. Regina had six first-period first-goals where two were scored in the first five minutes, and they added two second-period first-goals as well. Having just six players score the eight goals was part of the problem for the conference's lowest-scoring offence, but there's room to grow for this group.

HOME RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 3-2-0.
ROAD RECORD AFTER SCORING FIRST: 0-3-0.

Finishing the season oh-fer on the road when scoring first isn't likely going to be in the highlights for the Cougars. Finishing 1-17-2 when they didn't score first won't be in that collection either. If there's a positive to be found, it's that they played well when they had the lead at home. Yes, they lost twice, but three wins when getting the lead shows that this Regina can lock down and play well on home ice. If this team can grow together and really start to mesh, there's optimism for an upward trend. However, they need to score more than 1.21 goals-per-game if they want to have any chance of ever thinking about the playoffs.

FIRST-GOAL SCORERS: Jadyn Kushniruk (2), Jenna Merk (2), Ireland Sorestad (1), Kaitlyn Gilroy (1), Paige Hubbard (1), Shaylee Scraba (1).

There's your breakdown by team as to who did what when it came to scoring first. Having three teams hit the 17-win mark in one season when scoring first is pretty impressive, but it also shows just how hard it is to come back in games in the Canada West Conference. I'll say it again for those who may not believe me, but winning hockey games in Canada West is the hardest conference in which to do so.

Your evidence is above as almost all the playoff teams scored first and then locked down their defensive zones. The key for all those teams, though, was getting a lead and then building on those leads so that teams couldn't rally back on them. The three teams that missed the playoffs also scored first to be dangerous, but their overall records when doing so - 13-13-1 combined - prove that not building on those early leads will ultimately end in heartbreak as they watch from the sidelines in late February and early March.

In short, the rules in Canada West are simple: score first, build on that lead, and defend the house. If you do that, the statistics say you'll win 76% of the time and record points in 80% of your games. Rosters will change, systems will be altered, and players will get hot and cold, but scoring that first goal early and often will lead to a lot of good things.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!