The Sunshine Coast Women’s Hockey League (SCWHL) sent the Mavericks team to the Female International Hockey Tournament in Delta last weekend. The team – made up of new players as well as seasoned veterans – proved to hold their own, coming in third in the division.
The Mavericks won their first game against Snohomish County, a team they’ve come up against in the tournament before. Kim Starnes, Anita Flay and Correen Bjornson each had goals in that game, with Dawn Bezaire picking up two, as well as the team’s MVP for the game.
The second game had the Mavericks pitted against the Hot Flashes, and it certainly was a battle. The Hot Flashes took the lead in the first period, but less than a minute later, Emily Tredger of the Mavericks jumped on a rebound of Kim Starnes’ to even the score.
The Hot Flashes scored with only 15 seconds left in the second period and the score remained the same, even after a hard-fought third period, despite the Mavericks pulling their goalie, Thea Mahar, for an extra attacker in a final blitz at the end of the game.
Mahar received the team’s MVP for the game, making 16 saves including a breakaway from one of the top players from the Hot Flashes. The Mavericks dominated the game, out-shooting the Hot Flashes 35-18.
The third game (semi-final) was a rematch of game two, and ended with the same score.
This time, the Hot Flashes got a two-point lead early and it seemed like the Mavericks wouldn’t be able to solve the Hot Flashes’ extremely agile goalie, but Pam Chater finally got one past her on a beautiful pass out of the corner from Starnes. Though the Mavericks didn’t pick up the win, they once again out-shot the opposition by a large margin: 25-15.
The Mavericks enjoyed the tournament thanks to evenly matched teams, beautiful weather, and an overall great attitude. Playing against teams from Vancouver, Seattle, and even California always gives the players new perspective and experiences. This tournament means the end of the hockey season for most players, and many are already counting down the days until the 2016-17 season starts in September.
If you’re interested in finding out more about the SCWHL, visit www.scwhl.com, where you’ll find pictures, information, and next season’s registration form.
