[Monthly Recap - November] Burnaby Wildcats Peewee

Burnaby Wildcats Peewee C1

Division: Peewee C1            

Manager’s Name: Qun Gee

Head Coach: Mike Richards

Assistant Coaches: Troy Dragon, Luie Zappacosta

League season:

Opponents: Richmond, North Shore, North Shore Winter Club, Tri-Citites, and South Delta

Record: 0-5-1 

Remembrance Day Tournament:

Opponents: North Shore, Nanaimo, Ridge Meadows, Surrey

Record: 2-1-1

It was a challenging month of hockey for the Burnaby Wildcats Peewee girls team but, with lots of hockey still to be played, the team is optimistic about the season ahead. 

The Wildcats Peewee team is comprised mostly of girls aged 11 and 12. Most girls have played several years of hockey and are now becoming familiar and comfortable with the game. Two players, however, are lacing up the skates for the first time ever. They have lots to learn but their coaches and team mates provide them with the support they need as they develop their skills. Encouragement and a strong work ethic are key on this team. Head Coach Mike Richards emphasizes this by awarding a Hard Hat award at the end of each game. The award is given to the player who showed the strongest effort and compete level during the game.

The month of November saw the team play many of the teams they faced during their tiering games. Under the direction of Coach Richards, and Assistant Coaches Troy Dragon and Luie Zappacosta, the Peewee Wildcats have made steady improvements throughout the month. They have closed the gaps against many opponents where, early on, their results were lopsided losses, but now the team is more competitive. Games are hard fought and the team has nearly come away with victories against some of their toughest opponents. 

The highlight of the month of November for the Peewee Wildcats came during the Remembrance Day Tournament, held at 8 Rinks in Burnaby. In a game against the Surrey Eagles, the score was tied 3-3 after regulation, and the game headed to a shootout. Word travelled fast around the rink that one of the tournament host teams was in a shootout and fans quickly made their way to Rink 5 to cheer on the home team. Spurred by the cheers of the supporters, the Wildcats won the shootout for a final score of 4-3. It was a memorable event for the players to win in such dramatic fashion with all eyes on them!

Results like that are what keep the team optimistic as they look towards the rest of their season. Off the ice, there is much to look forward to as well. The girls have already enjoyed team picture day, which was on November 30th. In December, they are looking forward to their Christmas Party, which will be held at the Burnaby Mountain Golf Course. It will be a chance for the players to bond off the ice and such events will only help them perform at their best when they hit the ice again.

~ Jehan Jiwa

 

[Monthly Recap - November] Burnaby Wildcats Novice

Burnaby Wildcats Novice - Sponsored by the Dodge Caravan Kids Program

Division: Novice
Manager: Joanne Lee
Opponents: Vancouver Angels, Ridge Meadows, North Shore Avalanche, Tri Cities Predators, Richmond Ravens, Abbotsford Ice.
Record: 6-3-1

November was a busy month for the Burnaby Wildcats Novice team. The team consists of female players between the ages of 5 and 8 years old. The skill level is varied. Some players are in the early stages of learning to skate, while some of the older players are progressing on to improving their skating and their overall game. All players are learning the basics about hockey and they continue to improve daily. As an added incentive, the coaches award 3 Stars stickers after each game played.

The team recently entered into the Dodge Caravan Kids Program. The program sponsors over 2000 amateur hockey teams across Canada and provides up to $500 in sponsorship funding to participating Novice level teams.

The Wildcats Novice team played 8 games in total during the month of November, 3 of which were part of the Remembrance Day Female Hockey Tournament. For many of the players, this was their first ever tournament! Despite the early morning wake-up calls during the long weekend, the girls had a great time experiencing all aspects of what it's like to participate in a hockey tournament. It was a milestone weekend for a lot of players as several girls scored their first ever goals, which was special for the players and also for their families who were on hand to witness the moment! Despite the wide range of ages on the team, the players played well and won all 3 of their games during the tournament. They enjoyed spending time together and continue to love being part of the team.

On November 30th the team played 2 games. Yes, 2 games in one day! But the players weren't complaining. They love playing the game and every game is an opportunity to get better and to hang out with their team mates. The more the merrier! They played the Langley Lightning and Surrey Falcons. They won one game and lost the other - a pretty good result considering all the skating the players had to do that day.

Looking ahead to December, the team is excited for their Christmas Party, which will be held in a few weeks. They are going to go bowling so the girls can have some fun and try their hands at a new sport!

~Jehan Jiwa

 

[Tournament Recap] Remembrance Day Tournament - Hosted by the Burnaby Wildcats

Burnaby Wildcats - Midget Division Champions. Photo Credit: Dan Galic (Action Pro Photo)

 8-Rinks in Burnaby was the place to be during the 7th Annual Female Hockey Remembrance Day Tournament. 36 teams from British Columbia and Washington converged upon the arena for a 3-day tournament that saw 74 games played as well as on-ice clinics conducted for participants. The tournament, hosted by the Burnaby Wildcats, welcomed players from 5 divisions of minor hockey – Novice, Atom, Pee Wee, Bantam, and Midget – and was a popular attraction for all teams in the region, as team registration was full within just a few weeks. Plans are in place to add more teams for next year’s tournament.

The players took to the ice to showcase the skills they work hard to build upon, and all teams came up with strong performances. The Vancouver Angels took home the Atom Championship. The North Shore Winter Club Hawks were the Champions of the Pee Wee division, and the Surrey Falcons took home the Bantam Championship. The tournament ended on high note for the host Burnaby Wildcats. After a strong showing from all the Burnaby teams, the Midget team was crowned the Champions of their division in front of their home-ice fans, after winning the final game in a dramatic shootout.

The atmosphere at 8-Rinks was raucous and celebratory all weekend long. Raffles prizes, 50/50 draws, team snacks, professional photo taking, a henna station, and even a Menchie’s ice cream bar helped make it a long weekend to remember for all participants and their families. Not lost amidst the festivities though was the true purpose of the long weekend across Canada. All games and activities came to a standstill at 11:00AM on Remembrance Day as players, fans, and volunteers stood to observe a moment of silence in honour of our troops. The Royal Canadian Legion was also on hand to sell poppies during the weekend.

A tournament of this size is not possible to execute without contributions from sponsors and volunteers. Whether it was through various sponsorships, raffle prize donations, donations of food for team snacks and meals, or donations of their time throughout the weekend, the volunteers, led by the Burnaby Minor Female Hockey Parents, were instrumental in the overall success of the tournament. The dedication of hockey parents was on full display all weekend long.

Tournaments like this one are an opportunity for participants to learn, grow, and mature both as hockey players and as young individuals. The lessons in team camaraderie, sportsmanship, work ethic, and overall responsibility are ones that they will take with them going forward and they will better enable the players to be successful in their future undertakings.

The great success of the tournament will see the Burnaby Wildcats host it again next year. The Burnaby Minor Hockey Association looks forward to welcoming all returning and new teams at next year's edition of the Remembrance Day Girls Hockey Tournament.

~ Jehan Jiwa

[Announcement] Dominique Di Rocco welcomed as Head of Female Hockey Development

Burnaby Wildcats Female Hockey is thrilled to announce the hiring of Dominique Di Rocco to the position of Head of Female Hockey Development.

Dominique brings with her a wealth of knowledge about the game of hockey through her experiences as both a player and a coach. As a player, Dominique played her minor hockey for the Nanaimo Minor Hockey Association. After playing for the North Island Stars Female Midget AAA program, Dominique continued her playing career at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) level as a member of the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds Varsity Women’s Hockey Team from 2008-2011 and Red Deer College Queens (ACAC) from 2006-2008.

Since concluding her playing career, Dominique has shifted her focus to coaching, and she brings the same tenacity and passion behind the bench as she did on the ice. Dominique was the first ever female Head Coach approved by BC Hockey to coach Female Midget AAA. She has spent the past two years coaching the North Shore Female Ice Hockey Association (NSFIHA)’s Midget ‘A’ Team. Dominique was named the Coach of the Year for the 2011-2012 season. She has also coached with the Pacific AAA program, Leslie Global Sports, BC Hockey, Arbutus Skate Club, UBC Thunderbirds, and at the Okanagan Summer Hockey School.

Dominique is a qualified High Performace 1 coach and has achieved her NCCP Level 1 and 2 certifications. She is also an accredited BC Hockey Official.

Dominique is passionate about the game of hockey and she brings with her a strong work ethic and commitment to ensuring that all players enjoy a positive experience both on and off the ice. She strives to push athletes and motivate them to be the best they can possibly be.

The Burnaby Wildcats are extremely fortunate to have Dominique come on board to help develop our teams and players. The knowledge and experience she brings to the position will help make Burnaby Female Hockey a strong, productive, and progressive program, as we strive to create a positive environment in which to develop our players and groom them for future success. We welcome Dominique to the Wildcats, and wish her well in her role!

~ Jehan Jiwa