The North Island Edge Bantam A girls hockey team wrapped up their season by winning the Midget B division banner at the Richmond Ice Classic tourney, played March 25-27.
"The girls took their game to the next level and proved they had what it takes to feel confident in their ability to play competitive hockey," a team spokesperson said. "As a team they passed, covered and played awesome both offensively and defensively. Both goalies, Shaylene Gjesdal and Taylor Buell, made those amazing blocks and saves as they always do, allowing only three goals in five games,
Game one was against the Surrey Falcons. The only goals were in the second period with Taylor Rose coming out of a penalty to get the rush on net with the pass from Julia Wing and Sarah Kendall to put the Edge on the board first, to be followed by a top-shelf shot from Danielle Poirier. The Falcons netted one for a 2-1 final.
The next day the girls had two games. Like the first game, the competition was tough but the girls scored one in the first against the Kamloops Hellcats by Poirier from Kendall and Wing. Kamloops equalized from a scramble in front of the net for a 1-1 final. Awesome play by wingman Gillian Ellsay and defender Peewee affiliate Lisa Lloyd contributed hugely to the game.
Game three against the Vancouver Angels gave the Edge the points they needed to secure a spot in the final. Kendall tipped in Briana Vandenberg’s one-timer from the blue line in the first but no more goals from either team came until the third where the Angels get one past Gjesdal,
But the Edge answered with four more by Tara Dickson, Kendall, Wing and Peewee affiliate Cassidy Bellavance for a 5-1 win. Kudos goes to defenceman Jasna Ramsden-Morelli and forward Jill Franceschini for their quick hustling to keep possession of the puck.
Sunday morning's final game of the round robin was with the home team Richmond Ravens. "They hadn’t lost a game all weekend and we knew it would be a rough match but that didn’t intimidate us at all. Our girls were a force to be reckoned with and were not letting up; they had a drive that was in full momentum from the first game and would continue into the finals after beating the Ravens 1-0," the team spokesperson said.
With Richmond winning head to head against the JDF Breakers to break the tie, they also advanced to the finals in second. "We knew our competition and proved that this weekend was ours," the spokesperson said. Gjesdal earned her second shut out of the weekend, Taylor Rose wrapped around the net to put one in behind the goalie midway through the second with 12 seconds left in the game Emily Yates added a birthday goal in the empty net.
MVPs for the weekend (in order) were Kendall, Wing, Poirier, Gjesdal and Vandenberg. "Coach Dave Wing could not have asked any more out of these girls for they gave 110 per cent," the team spokesperson said. "After the game he stressed how each girl made a difference and contributed to the outstanding games that weekend and he couldn’t have been more proud of and for them."