Vicki Bendus Logs a Hat Trick as Florence Schelling Wins Her CWHL Debut

A three-game series between host team Alberta and Brampton set the stage for the CWHL debut of one of the world’s greatest goalies. Florence Schelling, on loan to Brampton for the rest of the season from Montreal, stood between the pipes in an October 28 contest.

Schelling, who led Switzerland to their first-ever bronze medal at the 2012 IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championships, makes Brampton much more competitive. Having led Northeastern to the Hockey East regular season title in 2012, she was the runner-up to Brianna Decker for the Patty Kazmaier Award. She was a fourth-round selection by the Stars in the 2012 CWHL Draft. Although she attended Stars training camp in September 2012, she was not named to the final roster.

In the first period, Alberta’s Kerri Sanders would open the scoring as she buried the puck past Schelling at 13:16. Despite the lead, Vicki Bendus would turn the tide of the game in the second period. She would score two consecutive goals to give the lead to Brampton. Her first goal was assisted by Laura McIntosh and Tara Gray, while the second marker was assisted by Sarah Moe.

Despite Stephanie Roy from Alberta tying the game (with assists going to Tara Watchorn and Meaghan Mikkelson) at 16:32, Bendus would answer back less than three minutes later. Lori Dupuis and Bailey Bram (who played at Mercyhurst College with Bendus) assisted on the go-ahead goal by Bendus as she logged a hat trick in the second period.

The third period saw Brampton add to their 3-2 lead with five unanswered goals. With eight different Brampton players earning points in the final stanza, Alberta had no answer to Brampton’s scoring assault. Sarah Moe and Cherie Piper would each log two goals, while Bram scored the final marker of the contest with 1:53 left in the period.

With an 8-2 final score, Schelling earned her first CWHL win in very convincing fashion. Bendus would lead all skaters with four points (she earned an assist in the third), while Sarah Moe had three points on the strength of two goals and one helper. Meaghan Mikkelson had 12 penalty minutes in the contest, as she was called for a head contact misconduct at the 8:14 mark of the third.