The Okanagan Hockey Academy Female Prep team will be the first to have their name etched onto the Canadian Sport School Hockey League (CSSHL) championship trophy.
“I think any championship is important,” said OHA Female Prep coach Jim Fetter, who won world championships with Canada’s U18 national women’s team. “When you have a team like that you put together it’s a great feeling. The first one on the cup is special as well. That’s the first time anyone is going to win that cup.”
Alex Gulstene made 29 saves en route to a 3-1 win over the Pursuit of Excellence on March 5. The league’s most valuable players Sophie Shirley, Miranda Gaudet and Alli Borrow provided the offence for Okanagan, which held leads of 1-0 after 20 minutes and 2-1 going into the final frame. Molly Box scored the lone goal for Pursuit, which got 51 saves from goaltender Amanda Zeglen.
“It’s just an awesome feeling,” said Fetter. “When you look at everything they have done all season, the body of work in tournaments. The sacrifices they have made in the weight room and all of that, it’s just a special feeling for sure.”
After losing to POE in round robin play, Fetter’s team was “jacked up.”
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“They were amped up, ready to go. I think they were a little disappointed with the loss to them in the round robin,” said Fetter. “I think we used it themselves as a little bit of motivation to get back at them in the final game.” The OHA coaching staff created a good game plan that the players executed. Outshooting POE 53-30, Fetter didn’t feel they gave their opponent many opportunities. In Fetter’s opinion, Zeglen stood on her head making several huge saves. The OHA was so strong with their attack, they had POE hemmed in their zone for about five minutes.
Fetter credited winning the Notre Dame tournament in Wilcox, Sask., for building team character and who they became as a team. In that tournament, the OHA had a 3-0 lead and won 3-2. Fetter said that gave the team an identity.
Also making the championship special is the team featuring a large group of players recruited by Fetter. As he said, they wanted to come to the program and trusted it.
Okanagan finished the regular season with a league-best 16-4-0 record, while Pursuit finished right behind them with a 13-7-0 record.
During the playoffs the CSSHL handed out player awards on March 4. Earning MVP was Shirley, who was first among all Female Prep athletes with a 1.8 points/per-game average, while her 16 goals and 27 points both ranked second. Shirley will attend at the University of Wisconsin next season. Other OHA players receiving awards were Olivia Knowles as top defenceman. Knowles finished in a tie for most points among all blue-liners with 18 (5-13-18) in 15 games. Knowles will attend the University of Minnesota next season. Nara Elia was named most sportsmanlike. Elia finished the season with zero penalty-minutes, while also finishing tied for fifth overall in points with 23 (7-16-23) in 16 games. Elia will attend Boston University next season. All three players represented Canada at the World Championships.
“It just kind of shows what kind of leadership and quality of players that they are,” said Fetter. “Well deserved. I think we should have been looking at Alex Gulstene as best goaltender too. She had almost a .945 save percentage. I think she kind of got ripped off there a little bit. She came out and she played well in the championship game. Showed them that she is the best goaltender in the league.”
Gulstene lost out to Northern Alberta Xtreme goalie Erin Fargey, who appeard in all 20 games. She finished with eight wins, a 2.32 goals-against average, a .923 save-percentage and three shutouts.
Fetter said the awards are good for the program, but also the team.
“You talk to any one of those girls they will say that everyone helped them get better,” he said. “That’s why they were able to win those awards. They are pretty humble kids.”
OHA Female Varsity
The female varsity team went winless in the CSSHL playoffs. They opened with an 8-0 loss to Shawnigan School and closed the playoffs with a 6-1 loss to Delta. Sydney Cain scored the lone goal with assists to Rheanne Peigan and Sarah Paul. Reid Bahr made 37 saves.
Elly Whitmore of Anchorage, Alaska was selected to the All-Academic team.