STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO-

Despite a strong showing in the last game of the tournament, the Puck Ewes showed too little too late. In three games, the Ewes were outscored 0-9 and outshot 109-51, losing to the Vail Twin Peaks (#2), Glenwood Ice Queens (#6) , and Aspen Motherpuckers 2 (#3).

Friday night proved to be a tough matchup against the Vail Twin Peaks. The Ewes hadn't been on the ice in weeks and their rusty legs and skills showed. Vail came out hard, pounding Ewe goaltender Kandice Torno, who kept her team in the game. It was 1-0 after two periods of play.

Once fatigue and lack of conditioning set in for the Ewes, it was all over. Vail took advantage of Craig in their own zone and got three more in before the game was over. The game ended 4-0 with the shots lopsided heavily in favor of the Twin Peaks at 56-14.

Embarrassed a bit by the Friday night game, the Puck Ewes game out stronger in the second game against Glenwood Springs, but all of a sudden found themselves behind 2-0 and they never made up ground. The Ice Queens kept the Ewes on their heels and scored another goal each period to make the final 4-0. The Ewes kept the shots a lot more closer, with 23-22 in their favor, but couldn't find the back of the net.

The highlight of the tournament was the skills competition. The Puck Ewes came out in glorious fashion, in their brand new hoodies. Participants Annie Abdella, Gayle and Alexa Criswell, Tammy Strahan, Jamie Eckroth, and Kandice Torno. Set up in a team relay race this year, they raced, pushed and pulled nets, weaved through cones, shot against a fake goalie, then tested their skills 3 on 0 against a real goalie. The real Ewe goalie had her skills tested against shooters from another team, delaying and stopping play for over seven minutes! The Puck Ewes earned the golden bottle of Jose Cuervo, thus defending their Skills Competition title.

Determined to go down fighting, the Ewes did just that in their last game. It meant nothing, unless they could pull of a huge victory against the Aspen Motherpuckers 2. Although Annie Abdella scored a goal from the blue line, the play was offsides and whistled off immediately.

The game was still 0-0 until late in the third. Torno came up with some big saves, but on one defensive breakdown, the puck squirted loose and a waiting Aspen player flung it into the back of the net.

The Ewes pulled their goalie with 2:00 left in the game, giving them a 6-4 advantage when Aspen went into the penalty box. Unable to tie it up, Craig went winless and scoreless during the entire tournament weekend.

Final results from the tournament:

1st place Breckenridge Fatty's Fury (won in a shootout against the Storm)

2nd place Steamboat Storm

3rd place ?? Aspen Motherpuckers 2 or Glenwood Ice Queens

4th place ?? Aspen Motherpuckers 2 or Glenwood Ice Queens

5th place Down Valley Divas

6th place Vail Twin Peaks

7th place Steamboat Bobcats

8th place Craig Puck Ewes