Ice Boltz off to Esso Cup Semi's

BURNABY, B.C. - The North Bay Ice Boltz are off to the semi-finals thanks to a 1-0 win over the host Fraser Valley Phantoms in their final round robin game of the Esso Cup.

Taylor Murphy scored the only goal of the contest on a 2 on 1 deking around the Phantoms netminder Laticia Castillo for the eventual game winner at the 13-minute mark of the second period.

“I had room … so I just held it and then went across, and the whole net opened up, and when it went in I thought, ‘finally!’ ” said Murphy on www.hockeycanada.ca, who was denied on an earlier in the game by Castillo.

After that Ice Boltz goalie Sabrina Picard shut the door for a 20-save shutout.

“The girls in front of me were back-checking hard, but I knew I had to make that save, almost a game-winning save,” Picard said after posting her second shutout of the tourney.

“We’re going into (the semifinals) with confidence, with nothing (scored) against us in the last game.”

North Bay draws top-ranked Edmonton (Pacific) in the late game Friday at 9:00 p.m. ET.

The undefeated Edmonton Thunder skated to a dramatic shootout win in the first encounter of the two teams earlier this week.

You can follow the action on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/HC_EssoCup , watch online for free at www.hockeycanda.fasthockey.com.