Sara Goodman’s second goal of the game gave the host Cowichan Typhoons a thrilling overtime victory over the Island Wildcats in the final of the Malcolm Fernandes Memorial U18 Indoor Hockey Tournament on Jan. 31.
The tournament was renamed this year for Fernandes, who coached Cowichan’s indoor program before he died suddenly last December.
“Malcolm had been our indoor field hockey coach for the past several years and his experience, passion for the game, and coaching ability, raised the level of all of sport,” tournament organizer Brenda Lockhart said. “It was an honour to work with him and he would be proud of how hard the players worked at this tournament.”
Stepping up to fill Fernandes’s shoes with the indoor team this year were Perri Espeseth and Caitlin Evans, who guided the Typhoons to a tournament win that included two victories over the powerhouse Wildcats — one in the round robin and another in the final.
The championship game was tied 1-1 at halftime and 2-2 at regulation, with Goodman and Hannah Murray responsible for the Typhoons’ goals. Just before the end of the first overtime period, an infraction in the Wildcats’ goal led to a penalty corner that Goodman capitalized on.
Rounding out the Typhoons roster were Sadie Tucker, Jocelyn Buss, Sophia Murray, Dannika Lloyd-Jones, Emma Dame, Kyla Toljander, Jenna Ellison and Marina Ellison. Cowichan Field Hockey Association products who suited up for other teams included Brittany Smith and Robin Fleming on the Wildcats, and Elise McKinnon, Maria Murray, Nyah Miranda, Olivia Burton, Sophia Miranda and Tai Williams for Shawnigan Lake School. The five-team field also included two squads from Calgary: the Cougars, who were back for their third year in a row, and a new team, the Saracens.
