The Tri-Port Wild female Midget team played their heart out and took 2nd place at the North Island’s first ever
Women’s Minor Hockey Tournament held at the Chilton Regional Arena, Jan. 9 and 10, in Port McNeill. The
tournament, which was a celebration of women’s hockey, also included two female peewee games, a ladies
game between the Port McNeill Downpour and the Port Hardy Wild, a player luncheon, a Mardi Gras themed
social event Saturday night, and a pancake breakfast Sunday morning.”We look forward to getting even more
girls out playing hockey as a result of this tourney, so they too can experience the excitement of being part of a
team and trying something new,” said Lisa Brown, one of the tournament organizers. The Tri-Port Wild kicked
off the tournament on Saturday morning in great style, shutting out Sooke 7-0, and they didn’t stop scoring
goals there. The Wild played against Campbell River later in the afternoon, beating them handily 8-4. In their
third game Saturday evening, the Wild ended up losing a close one to the Cowichan team 1-0, but even with
the loss they still qualified for the finals on Sunday against Sooke.The finals of the tournament started at 11:30
a.m. on Sunday, and the game between the Wild and Sooke definitely did not disappoint. The Wild came out
firing early in the 1st period, dominating the game for long stretches of play. At 11:11, The Wild’s Mackenzie
Murgatroyd got her stick on a nice pass from Taylor Ranger in front of net. Murgatroyd flipped the puck top
shelf past Sooke’s goalie to get the first goal of the game. A few minutes later, the Wild’s Jessica Wadhams
banged in a big rebound goal to make it 2-0. The Wild held their lead for the rest of the 1st period thanks to
excellent goaltending from Avary Miller, who was stopping shots left, right, and centre.In the 2nd period, the
Wild continued to defend well, but Sooke managed to come back with some offensive pressure of their own,
and ended up scoring two goals within two minutes to tie the game up going into the 3rd period.The Wild
started out the 3rd period strong with lots of shots on net, but they weren’t able to get the puck past Sooke’s
goalie. With 11:19 left, Sooke managed to score a goal off a screened point shot to take the lead 3-2. The Wild
fought desperately for the tying goal the rest of the period, but ultimately couldn’t find it. Sooke ended up
scoring an empty net goal with 23 seconds left and the game came to a close 4-2. “This weekend’s success
wasn’t just about the hockey games,” said Brown after the game. “It was also about bringing our community
together to celebrate the growth of female hockey on the North Island. We are proud of our girls and the way
they play with heart every time they step on the ice. It was exciting to share this with our community and let
others experience the talent and camaraderie that these players bring to every game.”Andrew Laming, the Tri-
Port Wild’s coach, agreed, stating that the “tournament went great. The organizers did a great job, and parents
and other family members went above and beyond.”When asked how he felt the Tr-Port Wild played in the
finals, Laming was to quick to say that the team “played good. Sooke’s a tough team. We’re all pleasantly
surprised with how well the girls (Tri-Port Wild) have been playing this year. They’ve played with heart, never
gave up, and exceeded every expectation.”
