The one and only time they met their teammates was at a two-day hockey selection camp in Princeton in January.
Vernon’s Danielle Butler and Jenna Lazar, Lavington’s Lisa Campeau and Ali Roine, and Armstrong’s Nikita Payne won’t see their Team Okanagan teammates again until they rendezvous in 100 Mile House for the Under 16 Girls B.C. Cup, which starts Thursday.
They open pool play Friday with games against the Kootenays and Fraser Valley. They take on Team North Saturday.
Fortunately, the Okanagan girls have been able to overcome that lack of familiarity somewhat through the Internet. Using a dedicated team Facebook page, head coach Mark Elder of Penticton requested the players to work on team bonding exercises. Their first assignment was to make up a team cheer.
“We do a lot of team building through that; it’s a great tool,” he said.
It might not be quite the same as sharing the same practice ice, but the Okanagan squad will have at least a slight connection as they head into action against five other zone teams from across the province.
“We don’t really get to see each other again until we’re up there,” said Payne, a Grade 8 student at Len Wood Middle School in Armstrong.
Added Butler: “You get to learn about the girls when they post their answers (on Facebook).”
With their minor hockey seasons over, Payne and Butler have been maintaining their fitness at a weekly spring camp at Civic Arena.
Payne, a blueliner with the Vernon Bantam Tier 2 Thrashers, relishes the physical side of the game.
“I like it a lot better. With the body contact, it pushes me harder to play with the guys. It forces me to keep my head up and be more aware of the play,” she said.
Asked what kind of defenceman she is, Payne replied: “It depends who I’m partnered with. If they’re always up in the play, I’ll stay back and cover for them. If I trust my partner, I’ll sometimes jump up in the play. So I’m a bit of both.”
Butler, a winger with the DCT Chambers Bantam Red Bulls, is looking forward to the learning experience of playing on a provincial stage.
“I’ve heard that it’s a good experience and that the coaches are really good,” she said.
Elder selected the Team Okanagan roster from a field of 38 players, ranging from Revelstoke to Osoyoos. Now in his third year with the U16 girls program, he has high hopes for his team.
“We’ll probably be the most skilled team there. It’ll be a great challenge,” he said.
Elder noted the tournament not only provides players with top-level competition, it also represents an opportunity for them to be seen by national scouts.
“It is a huge confidence builder. They’re scouted, they’re looked at by Hockey Canada,” he said.
