A question heard at the Remembrance Day Female Face-off hockey tournament in Sooke last weekend was “where did these girls come from?”
Those girls were members of the Powell River U11 Queens, who wrote their way into local hockey history being the first female players in that age group to ice a team and bring home a silver medal.
According to one parent, Elise Statham, whose daughter Claire is on the team, the weekend was special from start to finish.
“They really proved themselves on the ice going all the way to the finals. They played with heart and grit from start to finish,” said Statham. “We had so much fun as a team: parents, coaching staff and players alike.
“Parents cheered so hard they lost their voices as we watched our daughters grow more and more confident on the ice with each game. We were the little team that could.”
The U11 team’s success on the weekend reflects the growth of female hockey in this community, said Julie Venselaar, female coordinator for Powell River Minor Hockey Association.
“The female program is producing some very good quality players who are proving to be successful when competing with teams from hockey associations that are much larger than ours,” added Venselaar. “The future is bright for these girls in the years to come; they’ll be an exciting team to watch.”
