The Killarney Knights Women's Hockey Club will be on the Sunshine Coast next weekend for a women's hockey challenge.
The Knights will take part in a public skate at the Sunshine Coast Arena starting at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 6.
The public skate will serve as a warm-up for a special challenge game at 6:15 p.m. as the Knights tangle with a Midget C team from the Sunshine Coast Minor Hockey Association.
The game will consist of three 15-minute stop time periods and should conclude around 8 p.m. Following the game, there will be a hospitality night in the arena banquet room in partnership with the Sunshine Coast Women's Hockey League (SCWHL).
Admission is $3.50 for adults, $3 for teens and $2.50 for children for the skate and hockey game.
There are also tentative plans for a second event on Sunday, March 7.
Organizers are still trying to lock up ice time at the arena for a game between the Knights and the SCWHL. More information will be available on this event next week.
Female hockey has been played Saturday nights at the Killarney Community Centre since the early 1970s.
The majority of the teams since the early 1990s have been coached by Sylvain Leone who has espoused player development through hard work and practice as well as the virtues of dedication and sportsmanship. "We may lose, but we will never be outworked," is the unofficial motto of the team. Over the years the team has transitioned from one on which the average age was 16 and the youngest players were 13 to one with a significant representation of both youth and professional adults, making the locker room a superb place for the younger players to learn about integrity and commitment. It is easy for a 40-year-old to goad a 17-year-old into working harder and showing respect to both teammates and opposing players.
The Knights are proud as an organization to have had several players move on to full ride athletic scholarships at U.S. colleges.As well, over half the 1999/2000 Knights' roster went on to play for the NWHL Vancouver Griffins during their inaugural season.
At present, the team is coached by Colleen Thomson, in her first season as an AAA head coach. The current roster consists of players aged 16 to 42, with the average age being 30. Players include teachers, nurses, therapists, doctors and a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.
