Team North took the Female U16 BC Cup hockey championship by storm, going undefeated in every game to win the cup.
Forwards, Caily Mellott and Caitlyn Ray of 100 Mile House were both members of the victorious Team North, having earned positions on the 20-member team at tryouts held in January.
The BC Cup was held at the Island Savings Centre in Duncan on April 4-7.
It featured the top U16 female hockey players in British Columbia. Other teams at the tournament represented the Okanagan, Kootenays, Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, which was represented by two teams.
After a solid string of victories in the preliminaries, Team North beat The Lower Mainland Green team, 2-1 in the final, making it the first time in history the northern team has captured the cup.
Prior to the start of the tournament, Mellott says she knew her team was strong and each win in the preliminaries reaffirmed North was playing on the same skill level as every other team.
In the final, she felt a victory was possible.
“It was really nerve-wracking. The Lower Mainland had won just about every year in the past and we knew we would have to fight really hard to win.”
North scored the opening goal early in the first period, then widened the gap to 2-0 in the second frame. Lower Mainland lit up the scoreboard late in the second, but Mellott says her teammates knew a victory was within their reach, so they didn’t ease off.
“In the third, we had quite a few penalties and had to work hard to keep them out of our zone.”
The final game buzzer triggered a Team North dog-pile on the ice, followed by the proud players skating a victory lap with the B.C. flag.
The team was put together specifically for the BC Cup and only had one practice prior to tournament play.
Even though they’d known each other for only a short time, Mellott says it was hard saying good-bye to her teammates.
“The team kind of came together and we were a big family.”
Mellott notched one assist during the tournament and now has her sights set on making the U18 Female team, which will represent B.C. at the Canada Winter Games in 2014.
Ray also contributed one assist during tournament play and says she’s really excited about the results.
“At the U16, we had a strong team and we worked really hard to get there and bonded really well, which helped us on the ice.”
Ray hasn’t decided which teams she’ll play for next season but plans to maintain a conditioning program during the off-months and says spring hockey may be in the cards.
This season, both girls played in the 100 Mile & District Minor Hockey Association Bantam House league and Mellott also played for the Williams Lake Timberwolves Bantam Reps. Ray also played right wing for the Terrace Kermodes Female Bantam Reps, which recently won the provincial championship.
