February 6, 2008--  The Big Sky Wildcats won the first ever Montana Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA) U-19 Girls State Championship.  The tournament was held February 1-3 in Miles City with the Wildcats competing against teams from Miles City, Glasgow, and Sidney.     

The MAHA U-19 State Tournament opened with Round Robin play on Friday evening and Saturday to determine the placement in the Consolation and Championship games on Sunday.  The Wildcats were undefeated heading into the Championship game against the Richland Rangers of Sidney.   They beat the Glasgow Ice Dawgs 9-1 in the Wildcat’s first game and outscored the Rangers 7-2 their second game.  The Wildcats clawed past the Miles City Generals 6-5 to advance to the championship game.

In the game against the Ice Dawgs, Captain Aimee Heil (F-Helena) scored 2 goals and made 2 assists; Hannah Mackey (F-Great Falls) had a Hat Trick and an assist; Celeste Brown (F-Great Falls) scored 2 goals and had an assist; Assistant Captain Haley McLain (F-Havre) scored 1 goal and made 2 assists; Stephanie Tartaglino (F-Kalispell) scored a goal and had 1 assist; Olivia Barragree (F-Billings) scored 1 goal; Amanda Hanson (D-Havre) made 2 assists; and Bailey Samuel (F-Three Forks),  Lauryn Martel (D-Bozeman), Nikole Gebhart (F-Bozeman), and Karsen Cullen (F-Bozeman) each contributed with assists.  The lone Ice Dawg goal was scored in the second period by Chelsey Wixson.

The Wildcats pushed past the Richland Lady Rangers of Sidney in their second game. McLain opened with a goal early in the first period with the assistance of Mackey.  Mackey followed with an unassisted goal, as did Brown before the first period ended.  The lone Wildcat goal in the second period was by Heil with assistance from McLain and Anastasia Young (D-Butte).  Tartaglino scored goal number five.  Gebhart, assisted by Samuel tallied number six and the Samuel, assisted by Gebhart scored the last goal for the Wildcats in the game.  Sidney’s Rangers managed 2 goals in the game with the second hitting the scoreboard in the final two minutes of play. Final score Wilcats 7, Rangers 2.  

In their tightest game of the tournament, the Wildcats faced the host team, the Miles City Generals.  The Generals had beaten the Ice Dawgs 10-0 and, following a loss to the Rangers  (3-1) were looking for a win over the Wildcats to advance to the Championship game.  

The Wildcats and Generals battled back and forth.  Miles City scored the first two goals but McLain with an assist by Heil put a goal on the board for the Wildcats before the first period ended.  Mackey, again assisted by Heil tied it up in the second period only to have Miles City take the lead again.  Brown tied it up again.  Miles City scored again at 12:25 in the third and Heil, assisted by McLain responded within a minute bringing the game to a tie 4-4.  It  was McDaniel who pushed the Wildcats ahead again.  The Wildcats held the lead.  With less than three minutes of play,  McLain passed the puck to Hanson who passed it to Young, who scored a breakaway goal making the score 6-4.   But the Generals were not done.  With just 17 seconds left to play, the Generals scored during a power play but the Wildcats held on to the win 6 - 5.  The Generals outshot the Wildcat 28 to 20 but Wildcat goalie Rebecca Sink (Thompson Falls) made the saves needed for the win.  The Wildcats advanced to the Championship Game.

The Miles City Generals beat the Glasgow Ice Dawgs 6-2 in the Consolation Game on Sunday.  

It was the Wildcats vs. the Rangers and the first period of the championship game was almost have over before the Wildcats scored the first goal of the game. It was Danielle Shingleton (D-Belgrade) with the assistance of Young and then McLain with the assistance of Heil.  The Lady Rangers scored the lone goal of the second period and their only goal in the game.  Wildcats’ Samuel assisted by Gebhart scored in the third for a Wildcats winning score of  3-1.   

Both the Big Sky Wildcats and the Richland Lady Rangers advance to the President’s Cup tournament with teams from Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota.       

The Big Sky Wildcat players come from eight Montana communities where girls’ league teams are not available. The girls range in age from 12 through 17.  Some practice and play with their local association’s Boys’ team in addition to competing with the Wildcats.  
The team is coached by Steve Tartaglino of Kalispell, Deb Gebhart of Bozeman, and Dennis Mackey of Great Falls. The team is rostered through the Bozeman Amateur Hockey Association.







 
Tournament scorebox for the Wildcats.

Friday --Game 1  Richland Rangers 1, Glasgow Ice Dawgs 0

Saturday –
Game 2  Richland Rangers 3, Miles City Generals 1

Game 3
Big Sky Wildcats    2    3    5    10
Glasgow Ice Dawgs    0    1    0    1

Shots on Wildcats  G  Rebecca Sink (Thompson Falls) #1    5    7    5    17
Saves by Wildcats  G  Rebecca Sink (Thompson Falls) #1    5    6    5    16
Shots on Ice Dawgs  G Dara Morehouse # 66    12    11    19    42
Saves by Ice Dawgs  G Dara Morehouse # 66    10    8    14    32

Game 4   Miles City Generals 9, Glasgow Ice Dawgs 0

Game 5
Big Sky Wildcats    3    1    3    7
Richland Rangers    1    0    3    1

Shots on Wildcats  G  Rebecca Sink (Thompson Falls) #1    4    2    6    12
Saves by Wildcats  G  Rebecca Sink (Thompson Falls) #1    3    2    5    10
Shots on Rangers  G Stephanie Jespersen # 89     9    7    14    30
Saves by Rangers  G Stephanie Jespersen # 89    6    6    11    23

Game 6
Big Sky Wildcats    1    2    3    6
Miles City Generals    2    1    2    4

Shots on Wildcats  G  Rebecca Sink (Thompson Falls) #1    9    10    9    28
Saves by Wildcats  G  Rebecca Sink (Thompson Falls) #1    7    9    7    23
Shots on Generals G Taja’ Strouf #18     8    5    7    20
Saves by Generals G Taja’ Strouf #18    7    3    4    14

Sunday --
Consolation Game  Mile City Generals 6, Glasgow Ice Dawgs 2

Championship Game
Big Sky Wildcats    2    0    1    3
Richland Rangers    0    1    0    3

Shots on Wildcats  G  Rebecca Sink (Thompson Falls) #1    2    6    4    12
Saves by Wildcats  G  Rebecca Sink (Thompson Falls) #1    2    5    4    11
Shots on Rangers  G Stephanie Jespersen # 89     6    6    7    19
Saves by Rangers  G Stephanie Jespersen # 89    4    6    6    16

 
Big Sky Wildcats


Aimee Heil Captain                Forward    Helena
Hailey McLain Asst. Capt.           F        Havre
Samantha Tartaglino Asst. Capt.    D        Kalispell

Olivia Barragree              F/Defense    Billings
Celeste Brown                  F        Great Falls
Nikole Gebhart              F        Bozeman
Amanda Hanson              D        Havre
Hannah Mackey               F        Great Falls
Lauren Martel                  D        Bozeman
Kelsey McDaniel              D        Great Falls
Karsen Cullen-Melnik              F        Bozeman
Bailey Samuel                  F        Three Forks
Danielle Shingleton              D        Belgrade
Rebecca Sink                  Goalie        Thompson Falls
Sarah Sink                  D        Thompson Falls
Stephanie Tartaglino              F        Kalispell
Anastasia Young              D        Butte
Alexandra Pappas              Goalie        Helena  
Kaleigh Handa            Goalie        Great Falls
    
Coaches
Stephen Tartaglino, Kalispell
Deb Gebhart, Bozeman
Dennis Mackey, Great Falls

Note:  Celeste Brown, Hannah Mackey, Kelsey McDaniel, and Kaleigh Handa of Great Falls are members of this championship team.   Picture of the Big Sky Wildcats, 2008 Montana U-19 Girls Hockey State Champions

Upper back row; Kelsey McDaniel (D-Great Falls), Amanda Hanson (D-Havre)
 
Standing row; Coach Dennis Mackey (Great Falls), Coach Steve Tartaglino (Kalispell), Olivia Barragree (F-Billings), Anastasia Young (D- Butte), Lauryn Martel (D-Bozeman), Celeste Brown (F- Great Falls), Amiee Heil (Captain, F-Helena) , Hannah Mackey (F-Great Falls), Stephanie Tartaglino (F-Kalispell), Nikole Gebhart (F-Bozeman), Coach Deb Gebhart (Bozeman).
 
Front row; Sara Sink (D-Thompson Falls), Bailey Samuel (F-Three Forks), Haley McLain (Asst Capt, F-Havre), Danielle Shingleton (D-Belgrade), Rebecca Sink (G-Thompson Falls).
 
Not pictured-- Samantha Tartaglino (Asst Capt, D-Kalispell), Kayleigh Handa (G-Great Falls), Alex Pappas (G-Helena)