The South Island Royals midget A women’s hockey team are silver medalists after a long trip to the provincial championships in Fort St. John.
The team had a tough schedule to contend with, starting off the tournament by facing the two favourites to win it all, said Mike Goldsworthy.
They dropped Game 1 to the Richmond Ravens 7-2, a wake-up call for the Royals. By Game 2, they were ready for the North Shore Avalanche. The Royals “Sooke line” of Ireland Greenhough, Jayme Vivian and Laura Clark scored all four Royals goals while goalie Lindsay Goldsworthy turned away 42 of 44 shots to win 4-2. The Royals potted four again in the next game, a 4-1 win over the Kamloops Jr. Blazers (goalie Nicole Ladouceur stopped all but one of the shots she faced).
The defensive corps of captain Shayla MacDonald, Grace Finck, Abby Clark and Emma Monahan then stymied what Goldsworthy called a hungry Vancouver Angels team, holding them to a 1-1 tie.
In their final match of the round robin, against the LB Energy Predators, it was the Sooke line who struck again, quieting the crowd just 14 seconds into the game. The Royals went on to win 4-1 to advance to the gold medal final, a rematch with the Richmond Ravens.
To start, the Royals held off the Ravens but the the speed and skill of the Ravens proved too much as they defeated the Royals 4-0.
With a silver medal, the Royals were all smiles after the game knowing they had played hard all week to come away with this group’s best ever finish at the B.C. provincial championships, Goldsworthy said.
Royal Oak student wins Pat Quinn Scholarship
Royal Oak middle school student and South Island Royals female peewee player Jayla Jeske is among the first three recipients of the Vancouver Canucks Alumni Association first annual Pat Quinn Classic player scholarships.
Jeske is eligible as she competed with her team in the Pat Quinn Classic and will receive a $1,000 scholarship for demonstrating leadership, strong academic performance and commitment in giving back to her community.
“Leadership and teamwork are always the main goals I strive for, on and off the ice,” said Jeske, who volunteers and participates in fundraisers for the Ukrainian Dance Association. “To me, positivity is a must when playing hockey. I always cheer on everyone, win or lose, never get down on anyone after they have made a mistake and I am always respectful.”
“We are so impressed with the exceptional calibre of scholarship applications from these young hockey players,” said Cliff Ronning of the VCAA. “In addition to exhibiting their strong skills on the ice, these scholarship recipients are great team players, excellent students and volunteers who make valuable contributions to their communities.”