The Okanagan Hockey Academy female varsity team are Canadian Sport School Hockey League champions after defeating Delta Hockey Academy 1-0.
“We knew from the start that we had a very talented group and you can have a the talent in the world but if you don’t come together as team that just goes to waste. Luckily we were able to come together this season and pull together to get it done,” said OHA head coach Courtney Tougas.
Sarah Paul (Kelowna) scored the lone goal in the second period on a breakaway and goaltender Selma Luggin (Vienna, Austria) earned her third shutout of the tournament turning aside 30 shots. It is the first time the OHA’s female varsity team has won the regular season title and the league championship.
The two teams tangled the evening before with Delta, the defending champions, coming out on top 3-2.
In that game, Delta pulled ahead 2-0 in the first period with goals from Grace Elliott (Cloverdale) and Emma Lee (Delta). Taylor Catcher (Yellowknife, NT) brought the OHA back within one in the middle frame on the power play. Delta responded with a goal from Makenna Bergen (Delta) to give them a 3-1 lead. Paul cut that lead again before the second period was out, but OHA couldn’t find the back of the net in the third.
OHA opened the tournament with a 4-0 win over Pilot Mound. Catcher, Olivia Buckley (Trail), Alexandra Simpson (Kelowna) and Halle McKinnon (Penticton) scored the goals and Luggin stopped 21 shots for the shutout.
Luggin then backstopped OHA to a 3-0 win over Coeur d’Alene Hockey Academy. Paul, McKinnon and Brooke Disher (Fort St. John) were the goalscorers.
OHA finished the regular season in first place with a 16-6-3 record, while Delta finished in third place with a 12-11-2 record.
