Team B.C. claimed bronze at the Canada Games Saturday.
The U18 women took on Ontario and claimed their medals after a 5-4 victory March 2 in the bronze-medal match in women’s hockey at the Canada Winter Games in Red Deer, Alta. It was the first medal for the women’s Team B.C. program at the games since they won a silver medal in 1991.
Seven players on the roster hail from the Okanagan; Anne Cherkowski from Coldstream, Sarah Paul, West Kelowna, Lyndsy Acheson, Summerland, Chanreet Kaur Bassi, Lake Country, Sydney Neustaeter, Lake Country, Kiara Stecko, Kelowna and Anna MacCara, Penticton. The women rounded out the team that coach, Delaney Collins calls a rare group.
This is pretty cool photo! Thank you â¦@GoTeamBCâ© â¦@2019CanadaGamesâ© â¦@goalie_kaylaâ© for this moment! â¦@RushFMAAA⩠💛💙🥉 pic.twitter.com/ooX0yd7wWi
— Delaney Collins (@delaneyc34) March 4, 2019
“It was a wonderful experience,” said Collins. “It’s not very often that you get to experience a team where there is zero tension… there was simply no drama and there was an overall attitude and willingness to learn together.”
Collins says that the team went into the games not only hungry for gold, but with the drive to perform at an elite level.
“We performed at an elite level and we did it with humility and class, it was intense going into the bronze medal game but didn’t play uptight, they played with sureness,” said Collins.
#TeamBC with our medals!! #CWG2019 pic.twitter.com/Fl4CM0onPy
— BC Hockey Female (@BCHockey_Female) March 2, 2019
Along with her assistant coaching, Katie Greenway and Al Wozney they instilled in the players to accept their victory humbly and to consider the Ontario team’s loss.
“The Canada Winter Games are a really special event, it’s a celebration of sport, but I really respect the other team and truly was happy for the athletes that I coached because they deserve to be awarded for the great young women they are,” said Collins.
Team BC finished the 2019 Canada Winter Games with a record 30 gold medals during the two week event.
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